Memories
by Hajislover
Summary: Haji and Saya are working to get her memories back with the Red Shield. They do, but something happens in the process that makes Haji forget everything instead! HajiXSaya Now Revised and Edited
1. The story has been edited!

**Memories**

2/24/12: Welcome back to Memories, everyone! I'm pleased to announce I have gone through the entire story and edited a lot that was messed up. Hopefully everything. It's been about 5 years since I've even looked at this fic, and let me tell you, it needed some TLC. I took out the annoying author's notes at the beginning and end that begged for reviews. I hate it when I have to waste my time reading that instead of the story and I couldn't believe I did it myself! I also fixed a lot of spelling and grammar errors, as well as timeline issues. Everything lines up now!

I hope you all enjoy this new and improved version of Memories. I had a lot of fun going back through it!


	2. Sorry, Haji

**Memories**

**Chapter 1: Sorry, Haji**

Disclaimer: I don't own Blood, even though I do own the TV I watch it on.

2/24/12: Revised and edited; hope you all enjoy the new and improved version.

x-X-x

"All right, let's do it," David ordered into a mic from a high glass box.

"I don't think this is a good idea. We should let her mind protect itself," Louis argued, standing in the same glass room.

"No, Louis, we need her to remember. She must or she'll be of no more use to us," David argued back.

Saya was strapped to an examination table in a sterile white room. Her eyes were crimson when she rolled them, "Sure, because we all want a repeat of Vietnam."

Haji glanced down at his right arm wrapped in bandages and shied away at the memory. Even now, when she was more human than she had ever been, he still didn't completely trust her anymore. He feared the next time she lost her temper. What would he do then? Would he fight her? No, never. If Saya wanted to kill him, that was fine. Anything to make Saya happy. Anything she wished…

"Okay, Julia, we're ready over here. Go ahead and commence memory extraction." Then turning to speak into the mic again, David said, "This won't hurt you, Saya, just knock you unconscious for a while. Ready?"

Saya jerked at her restraints just to make sure she didn't roll off of the table while she was out. Even though her eyes were bright red, she felt fine, it was just an effect of the medicine. There was no adrenaline or the desire to kill; she wasn't thirsty. Even in a room full of humans, she felt fine.

"Alright," Julia spoke into the mic, "Commencing."

Saya heard a thunk as Julia flipped the switch; then everything went white.

_All these images. They're unbearable! I wish David had been right. I wish I couldn't see this. Please, stop! I'll do anything! Haji, I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!_

"Ha…Haji," Saya whispered as a tear ran down her cheek. "I'm sorry."

Her mind was a vortex for her memories. She could see Joel working in his garden at the zoo. She saw herself and Haji laughing at each other as they ran towards the barn in the rain. She saw her holding Haji as he cried in her arms, and watched as she kissed his forehead.

The images started from her earliest days. They were slow and peaceful, too sweet. Then they were moving faster and faster. The happy images stopped coming and were replaced with blood, bodies, forests, the sounds of war. The choppers, soldiers shouting, gunfire…and the unmistakable sound of her sword as she unsheathed it and cut through innocent flesh and bone.

She watched Diva throw Amshel out the window of her cell and follow him down to drink his blood…

Haji, falling off the cliff, landing dead in a pool of his own blood, but still clutching the flower she sent him after.

Over and over, she saw herself in Vietnam. Saw Haji's innocent eyes and that sweet, sweet smile. Then she heard his scream as her sword ripped through his arm. She was moving too fast. She never even saw him standing there. And even if she did, she couldn't have stopped in time to spare him. He'd never saw her either. Saya watched the image replay itself again and again. She looked over him silently as Haji fell to the ground screaming, over and over.

Saya let out her own scream and jerked against the table, pulling against her restraints. _Stop this, please! Haji! I'm sorry! So, so, sorry! _A moment later, her eyes snapped open, now a golden brown and looked around helplessly for Haji. He sat on the bed next to her.

From above, David began decommensing and pushed the button that released her restraints.

"Shh…I'm here, Saya," he wrapped his arms around her as she sank into him. Saya grabbed his hand and squeezed it. When she opened her eyes again and saw the bandaged hand in hers she gently drew it to her mouth and kissed it.

"Haji, I'm so sorry," she whispered as they sat together in the middle of the white room.

"It's okay. I'm still here. I'll never leave you, Saya."

"Sorry."

"I love you."

She leaned farther into him, "I'm sorry."

**Chapter One: End**


	3. You're Gone?

**Memories**

**Chapter 2: You're Gone?**

Disclaimer: If I owned Blood, Saya and Haji would be together forever, but I don't so I'll just keep on dreaming…

2/24/12: Revised and edited; hope you all enjoy the new and improved version.

x-X-x

"Saya…"

She turned around on the crowded sidewalk to look at him.

"Yea? What is it, Haji?"

They had just come out of the Red Shield's lab, since Julia had told everyone that it would take some time to get the results from the memory extraction exercise.

He shook his head, "It's nothing, never mind."

She frowned at him as she crossed the sidewalk and walked out into the street. "If you're sure…"

x-X-x

Elsewhere, about two blocks down, a car had lost control and had skidded past the red light. It careened forward at a reckless pace, it's driver trying to regain control, with little luck.

x-X-x

Haji was looking in a window of a little diner. 'Is that my jacket? I wondered where it went…'

Saya had gone ahead and started crossing the street. She was about halfway across when he looked up at her and saw the car racing toward her. 'Oh, God, no!'

"Saya!" He had about a half a second to get past the exclusive, New York style, people-choked sidewalk and run straight into rush-hour traffic before the car reached her.

Saya had heard her friend call her and began to turn around again. She got about halfway turned when she heard a car horn blare and saw a pair of headlights heading straight for her.

She screamed.

Haji's arms wrapped themselves protectively around Saya, looking for a good place to land when he jumped up, but found none. He stole a quick glance at the car, mere meters from them and shoved Saya away. Hard.

The last thing he remembered after running out into the road was the dull thump of the car's hood as it slammed into flesh and shattered the bones beneath it.

A few people saw looked into the street when Saya had screamed and watched as the car rammed itself into the dark-haired man, forcing his body to mold to it.

Saya stared with horror as Haji's limp body got whisked away on the car's grill. She couldn't understand why he didn't just hit the hood, roll off the top and land unharmed in the street like in all the movies she had seen.

Someone in the crowd had had the sense of mind to call for an ambulance and within minutes it came flying down the lane, all the other cars frozen in place as the sirens blared.

The paramedics climbed out of the back of the ambulance, doing a quick scan to look for any injured persons on site. Finding none, they looked slightly confused. One even looked annoyed, thinking that this had been a prank call from some little kid who shouldn't be allowed to use a phone.

Eventually, an elderly lady calmly pushed Saya back out into the street and towards the medics.

"This girl here was the one who was in the street first, sir. I think she's suffering from shock…" she said.

"Thank you, ma'am. Was there anyone else injured, here? She seems to be fine, _physically_, that is, to me."

The lady glanced concerned toward Saya, then leaned in toward the medic and whispered, "Well, you see, I think it was her friend who was the one who got hit by the car. He jumped out into the street to save her. I saw the whole thing, you know. Just pushed her out of the way. Just like that. Poor thing, must be a goner, I assume." She said, matter-of-factly. Saya blanched.

"Hit by a car? Who? Where's the car?" the young man asked as he nodded the rest of his team over.

"Seems like more went on here that we first thought," he told them. He looked at the annoyed medic and said, "You're in charge of finding the car." He paused a minute, then continued, "…and the man still attached to it…"

Shortly after, he tilted his head toward Saya and gave a nod. The two remaining men quickly wrapped her in heavy-duty blankets and ushered her into the back of the ambulance.

"Hello, miss. I'm Richard McBurg. Can you tell me what happened to you?"

Saya looked down at the man's chest.

'Yes, that was his name. The little tag said so. Richard McBurg. What a weird name.'

"H-Haji…" she whispered.

"What's that?"

"Haji, you have to save Haji…" she said a little louder.

The man was obviously deaf since he leaned in _again_ and asked, "One more time, please?"

Saya's brow furrowed as she nearly shouted in annoyance.

"_Haji! Haji, the man that has been with me for the last hundred and fifty years! Find him, now!"_

The medic regarded her warily, and glanced at his partner sitting across the vehicle, talking to the third man on a special handset. "All right. I think I heard you that time, ma'am. We'll find 'Haji' for you." He soothed.

When they reached the hospital, Saya was led away by a nurse who was fussing over her, worried for absolutely no reason. Really, she was fine. It was Haji who needed to be helped. Where was he, anyway? Usually, no matter how much he was hurt, he managed to find his way back to her within minutes of separation.

The younger of the medics nodded in Saya's direction and addressed the doctor once they were out of her earshot. "I think she might need psychiatric help, doc. She says she's known the guy who got hit for over a hundred and fifty years. It might be shock, but I don't know, she seemed pretty worried for this guy to be an imaginary friend."

The doctor nodded. "Where is this man now?"

"No clue. We found the car about four blocks away. We found the driver passed out in front of the car. It looks like he fainted. He should be here in a minute. Anyway, Driver says he saw the same guy, too, and there's a body impression in the front of the car, but when we looked around for the guy, we just came up empty."

"I see. Sometimes, when multiple people go through a traumatic experience, they may create stories—explanations, rather—as to why they were in an accident in the first place. Many times, these stories tend to coincide with one another."

"But that doesn't explain the body indent we found." He argued.

"…No, it doesn't." he slowly agreed.

x-X-x

Saya disentangled herself from the grasp the nurse had on her and handed her the blanket.

"Thank you. You've been very helpful, but now I must go find Haji."

"Wait a minute, hun! You can't leave yet, you haven't even been admitted yet!"

Saya looked back at the tiny nurse, "That is why I have to go now. Things will get complicated if I end up getting admitted here. You all ask _way_ too many questions that I can't answer if I ever want to be looked at like I'm sane. Anyway, I can walk. I'm fine. Haji is the one you all should be worrying about."

The nurse tried to think up a way to get this strange girl to stay. Quickly, she called to her hopefully soon-to-be charge, "What was he like?"

"Excuse me?"

"That man. What was he like?"

"Haji?"

"Yes. Him."

Saya was stunned for a moment. No one had ever asked her about Haji before. Hell, half the time, no one noticed that he was there. Just calmly following her around.

"He was…_is_…very loyal."

The nurse got Saya to walk back into the emergency room and sit on a gurney.

"Have you known him for a long time?"

"Oh, yes. I've known him for quite a while actually. And he's never really been away from me for this long. What's it been, like four hours?(1) Saya looked for a clock in the sterile white room and saw that it had, indeed, been almost four hours. The clock had just passed the 8 p.m. mark.

The nurse smiled at her. "Are you two _together?_ It must be horrible to not know where he is. Why don't you tell me something about the two of you to take your mind off things?"

"Yes. All right. I think that would probably be a good idea. Let me think…" Saya closed her eyes and let her mind wander back through time. Her head thunked back against the white walls.

"Oh! I remember one. It was the early 1890's. Haji and I were wandering through Switzerland when we walked straight into the remnants of a snowstorm."

The nurse interrupted her. "1890's? How could that be? You'd be over 120 years old! Both of you!"

Saya opened her eyes a little bit to look at the other woman, "You were the one who asked to hear the story. And I told you if you asked me questions, you'd think I was crazy."

She nodded. "Sorry. Go on, then. Unreasonably long ago in Switzerland…" she continued for Saya.

She grinned at the nurse's commentary, "Right, an unreasonably long time ago in Switzerland, for someone who only lives for about eighty years, Haji and I were walking through the countryside…it was a perfect day, _beautiful_ and we get to this little town, Neuchâtel—I think it's a resort nowadays—and it's covered in snow! We couldn't believe it. It hadn't snowed in months…but, anyway, we took a ride in the back of some farmer's hay wagon the rest of the way into town.

"That was funny…Haji in hay…he's actually allergic. Poor guy. I felt kind of bad for him until I remembered it was his idea to catch the ride in the first place…" Saya grinned at the memory.

The nurse let out a breathy laugh, "That's really nice…laughing at the discomfort of others…"

"Well, I never said I was a saint. And you should see him sick. It's so cute…he gets all red and puffy, his voice drops and gets all scraggly, and he refuses to lift a finger to do anything himself! He's just like a little kid!" she mused. "It's so adorable, but he doesn't get sick too often anymore…"

"So, back to the story…" the nurse prompted.

"Umm…we were riding in a hay wagon into town and we saw this HUGE castle! He asked the farmer guy about it and he said that it used to be a medieval lord's home, like, three hundred years ago. Three hundred from then, mind you, it'd be about four twenty or thirty from this time."

"Of course."

"So Haji was just sitting there, staring, like he couldn't believe that there was a home bigger than the one we grew up in back at the Zoo."

"You grew up _together?_ At a _Zoo?"_

"Yeah, it was my "father", Joel's, home. And since I was a little project of his, he wanted to give me a present. So one day I was fencing with one of our footmen, and Amshel brought me Haji."

"Wait! He was a _PRESENT?"_

"…Yeah, that's what I thought, too."

The "older" woman let out an awed sigh, "Oookay…moving on…"

"Right. So I asked the guy if anyone still lived there and he said that no one did. Hehe…Me and Haji looked at each other, planning what we were going to do…

"So, anyway, we hung out around town, playing with some of the kids there—we ended up in a huge snowball fight, somehow…he looked good covered in snow—for a little bit, before we started back to the town's outskirts, looking for that castle.

"We got there a little past dusk, so it was the perfect time of day to be the scariest place around, and once we got the huge freakin' wooden door open—it wasn't locked, I think they relied on the heaviness of the door to keep it shut—we went inside. And oh my god, the place was _gorgeous. _High vaulted ceilings, ancient rugs on the walls, long tables no one ever sat and ate a meal. It was the works.

"We played hide and seek in there for a long time. It took forever. It was soooo much fun since we didn't know our way around. I couldn't believe the place was still furnished, actually. We ended up going to bed way, _way_ after dark that night."

"Where did you sleep? Did you get a really big room?" The nurse asked.

"We decided to sleep in the main hall, by the front doors, because we were too afraid that we wouldn't be able to find our way back out in the morning, actually." Saya laughed.

"That sounds like something that would happen to me!"

"Yeah, it was fun. What time is it now?" Saya asked, with her head still against the wall. She had been leaning against it while the nurse took her vitals and listened to her story.

"It's about eleven right now."

"That late? I didn't think it took that long to tell that tiny story." She admitted.

"Yes, well, you actually nodded off there a few times…"

"And Haji still hasn't come back yet…" she added in a softer voice.

"I wouldn't worry about him. He sounds like a strong man. I'm sure he'll be fine. He seems to be a dependable guy. I think you got a winner there." The nurse declared.

Saya smiled. "Yep, he's definitely one in a million."

"Now, why don't you lay down and get some proper sleep? You haven't technically been admitted, but I don't think any of the doctors will mind, seeing your current situation."

"Thank you. I was actually getting tired."

"Sure thing. Anytime, hun. I'll be here all night if you need anything. Sweet dreams."

In spite of not getting a room and having to sleep on a gurney—which, admittedly, isn't the most comfortable place to sleep—she was exhausted after the day she'd had and fell asleep quickly.

x-X-x

About three hours later, in the hospital break room, the nurse, doctor, and medic were all lounging in the fold-out chairs that were scattered throughout the room.

"So, what did you think of her?" Richard, the medic, asked the nurse.

"Yes, you've had the most contact with the girl out of all of us. Is she mentally unstable like Rich says?" the doctor questioned.

"I'm not so sure. She spun me a tale, all right. But I don't think she was lying to me. I'm just not sure it was _her_ experience she was telling me about."

"What did she say?"

She looked at the doctor, "Apparently, she was in a resort in Switzerland, playing hide-and-seek in a castle three hundred years ago."

"Sounds loony to me." The medic scoffed.

"That _is_ strange. But did she sound like she'd endanger herself or others if she was to be left unattended?"

"No. Not that I could tell. But that guy she talked about…I think she's crazy about him. That was all she talked about the entire time I was with her. Well, I asked her about him, but she kept telling me little side stories about him…Kind of like a school-girl crush…"

"I see—"

"I don't get why we don't just lock her up. She says she's, like, two hundred years old! What the heck does that make her if she's not crazy? A freakin' vampire?"

The doctor grinned. "…you never know." He turned back to the woman, "What did she say about the man she was with?"

"Well, umm… she said he was allergic to hay…and apparently he's really cute when he's sick…"

Richard huffed, "That's real helpful, ya know?"

The doctor nodded, "Was there anything else?"

She thought about it for a minute, "Oh! She said her dad gave her that man as a _present!_ Can you believe that? A present!"

"Looney-bin…" the medic sang.

"Human trafficking? That's not good. But I honestly don't believe that she's a threat to anyone, so if she wants to leave I think we should let her."

"Yeah, she seems like a good girl to me. She's probably just a little rattled. It's no wonder, poor thing, having to watch your boyfriend get killed right in front of you…"

"What? You can't just let her go! She's off her rocker! Plus, not to mention that human trafficking is a _crime! A federal offense!__"_

The doctor cut in, "We don't know that the man is dead yet. No one has found a body, so we have to have hope that he's sitting in a café somewhere. I don't think that girl would take it very well if that man was actually dead…"

"Yeah, well, if you're all going to ignore me, then I'm gonna go finish my route! _I've_still got another hour on my shift, so if you'll excuse me, _ladies."_

The other two watched him go.

"…Do I look like a lady to you?"

"Not at all." The nurse assured him. "Very manly."

"Thank you."

"Of course."

x-X-x

Saya woke up early the next morning. She hadn't slept very well and now had a kink in her neck from sleeping on the gurney all night.

She walked around the hospital lobby for a few minutes until she found a janitor to unlock the main doors for her. (2) She wandered back onto the sidewalk, almost in a daze. She kept thinking about how funny it was when she told the _entire_ truth to people. Most didn't believe her and just wrote her off, but doctors and such seemed to want to analyze her, seeing as the tales she told them of long ago couldn't _possibly_ be true for someone her age, but everything else about her state-of-mind was perfectly fine. A lot of people assumed she was just a very imaginative girl and liked to tell stories.

She found herself on the street where Haji had gotten hit the day before. She stayed in the city for several days, waiting for Haji to come back to her, because she knew that merely being hit by a car couldn't kill him, right?…it had just been a shock to witness.

She walked up and down the street surprised to find that the smell of burning flesh lingered on the block for days after.

**Chapter Two: End**

x-X-x

Footnotes:

1: I know I didn't show any passing of time, but trust me, she sat in the waiting room for a _long time_. Have you ever been to an ER? If you're not going to die in like, the next five minutes, they just kind of leave you there.

2: I know hospitals have 24/7 service, but in some major cities, they lock their main doors at night, even though the ER doors stay open all the time.


	4. Who Are You?

**Memories**

**Chapter Three: Who Are You?**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Blood+ and I don't think I ever will, which makes me sad…

This chapter is dedicated to HajiandSayaForever. Thank you so much for reviewing every chapter of every Blood+ fic I've ever written! I love you so much, you're too awesome!

2/24/12: Revised and edited. Hope you all enjoy the new and improved version.

x-X-x

Haji pushed Saya away. Hard. Less than a moment later, he was being carried away by the out-of-control car. He felt his bones crunch at the impact, so he guessed that he'd shattered his entire left side.

That wasn't good.

Neither was the fact that his coattails were being drawn into the grill of the car, and adding the speed and momentum that the car had, he guessed he probably wasn't going to be able to get loose. Especially since his skin was beginning to melt and burn and stick to the hood of the car.

Oh yeah, this was painful.

He was surprised that he was still thinking coherently.

Unlike the car's driver. He was being ridiculous. There he was, sitting safe and sound in the front seat of the car, screaming his head off. What Haji wouldn't give to be the one in that car right now…

He was pressed painfully against the front end, but he could still see people on the sidewalk staring as they passed. The car made a hazardous turn onto a quieter side street. That was good; that meant that the driver still had some control, maybe it was just a problem with the brakes. Now there was less of a chance that anyone else would get hurt.

He really hoped Saya wasn't hurt. He didn't think he could take that.

He remembered when she got ran over by a horse drawn carriage many years ago. She had broken both her arms and her right leg. But that was back in the late 1700's when there weren't many medical advances, so no one knew if her injuries were worse or not, but now he guessed they probably were. Haji ran back to Joel, but by the time they got there, Saya had been dragged several blocks by the carriage. She was bloody and unconscious. Haji bundled up her broken body and carried her carefully back to the Zoo with Joel. She spent days locked up in the medical hall with Amshel, trying to be put back together again. And since it was so long ago, there wasn't any pain medication available unless you were royalty—and even then it didn't really work, it was weaker than modern Tylenol—so he spent his nights listening to her screams echoing down the halls. Of course, when she eventually healed and got better, Joel blamed him for not keeping a better eye on her. Never mind that he was only about fifteen at the time.

The car slammed into a light pole, jerking him out of his reverie and away from the car. His skin ripped as he was peeled off the hood and thrown onto the concrete sidewalk below him. His head bounced against it and cracked open. The man freaked out, jumped out of the car, tried to run away, tripped over Haji, _saw_ Haji lying bloody on the ground, tripped yet again, and fainted.

Yes, these injuries would take quite some time to heal…

x-X-x

**Six Days Later…**

"What the hell happened to me?" I glanced around, trying to figure out where the hell I was and why all I could remember was a pair of headlights heading directly for me.

_My side hurts…_

I looked down at my body and had a very personal conniption. My entire upper left side was missing clothes. It looked like there were burn marks up and down my ribcage. _What the hell?_

A couple blocks away, I could hear cars and people. They were loud and obnoxious, like usual. Why people had to go around screaming their heads off at their companions who were walking less than a foot away from them, I could never guess. And _cars._ How annoying could this place be? All the buildings are smashed so tightly together that there's absolutely no need to have such noisy, nasty, smelly transportation units. I also noticed the lack of animals. Mainly horses. So that meant that cars could operate without horses pulling them.

And what the hell was a car, anyway? And how did I know what it was?

Actually, I have an even better question: Who am I?

And where the hell am I?

I looked up from myself and saw an elderly woman walking along the sidewalk and ran up to her.

"Goodness, young man, you scared me!"

"Forgive me, ma'am, but you wouldn't happen to know who I am, do you?" I said with a stiff bow. Joel would kill me if I didn't address my elders properly.

"Oh my, no. I'm sorry, lad, but I've never seen you in my life." She said, patting my arm—the covered one.

"Please forgive my indecent attire. I'm afraid I don't know how I became like this."

"That's alright. You look like a fine young man. Much better than the hooligans that run around her at night shooting each other."

"Excuse me, ma'am?"

"Why goodness, yes. If you don't know that then I'm guessing that you're not from this part of town at are you?"

"I'm not sure," I began with another apologetic bow. "Forgive me for asking, but what part of town am I in exactly?"

"Why New York, of course! Queens actually, but you seem to be more like the Manhattan type, or maybe Staten Island."

"I'm sorry?"

"My word, child, don't you have any memory at all?"

"It seems not. I apologize for taking your time." I bowed one last time and turned to go.

"That must've been a lovely suit you're wearing," She called to me.

Crap, it was bad manners to walk away from an elder who was talking to you.

"I don't know. Do you know why I might be wearing a suit at all? Is this attire normal?" I said, turning back around to face her again.

"Goodness, no. Not unless you're rich. Or there's a special occasion."

"Do you know of a special occasion that I might have been attending or have finished attending?"

"Today? No, but about a week ago, there was an opera…that may have something to do with your tux. I read in the paper a few days ago that a man was lost at the opera house.

"I see. Thank you, ma'am."

"Oh, not at all, not at all. It's not every day I get to talk to a polite handsome young man like you."

"You flatter me. My grandeur is not such."

"My word, no one talks like that anymore, child. Not in this day and age."

"I am beginning to assume I am not from this day and age. Where is this opera house? That may be where I was traveling to."

"I think you should go to the hospital, child. You look a little rough around the edges."

"I shall be fine. I have assumed much worse injuries than these."

"You be careful, you hear me? Don't go getting into trouble. You look like a good lad; people aren't always so nice to your type."

"I shall keep that in mind. The opera house?"

"Oh yes, it's next to that new Science Compound. I hear they're doing memory extractions there to work on building a virtual world. Useless in my opinion. This world's been good enough for centuries, no need to make a new one. But anyway, the opera house is right across the street. It's huge, you can't miss it. It's called Goldschmidt Theatre."

"Thank you. How do I get there?"

"Oh yes, of course. Go about twenty blocks down this street, then turn left and walk two blocks. That should take you there, and if it doesn't, you'll be within sight of it."

"Thank you."

"Of course, child. You may want to go to the Science Compound, they may be able to put memories _back_, too," she joked.

I walked away and wandered in the direction she pointed me in. This was a fairly heavy trafficked street, so I could always ask someone else for directions if need be. I was going to the opera house at the moment, but who knows what I was doing before I got knocked out by that car.

Maybe my family is looking for me. Maybe I don't have a family. I really hope I have a family. It'd be sad if I didn't. Hell, it's sad that I can't remember if I have a family or not. Am I married? Am I old enough to be married? How old _am_ I?

I reached around to my back pocket, but no luck. No wallet.

Do I have a girlfriend? Where do I live?

Questions like that flooded my mind as I walked down the sidewalk, towards who knows where. It was confusing that some of my thoughts and words mirrored this city, while others seemed much older than this place.

I saw a girl with short dark hair and bright blue eyes out of the corner of my eye. My heart lurched toward her as it wrenched my head in her direction. I raised my hand to wave at her—maybe she knew who I was; she seemed familiar—but she smirked at me and ran away. She ran into the arms of a serious looking man wearing a dark violet suit. I sighed and carried on.

After an hour of aimless walking—I wasn't really paying attention to what the old woman said to me—I bumped into a man on the sidewalk.

"Hey! Watch where you're going! Ya wanna apologize for that, rich kid?"

I nodded my head toward him in apology. "Forgive me."

"What's that? _Forgive_ you? You think yer too good to say sorry like normal, eh? Think I don't know what yer sayin'? Ya wanna start somethin', jerk?"

He reached across the sidewalk and shoved me into the wall.

"…Sorry?"

"Aah, now yer jus bein' a smartass! You wanna go, then let's go!" He reached his hand back and threw a punch right at my jaw.

My body acted on its own. The burns that covered my side pulled at the healthy skin around it and ached, but my left arm flew up to easily block his punch while my right sent a fierce uppercut into his gut. The man coughed and doubled over.

"Ya think yer smooth, eh? I'll show ya smooth!" He pulled a small knife out of his jacket and ran in low to jab it at my stomach.

I slid to the side and slammed my elbow down in the center of his back. The man got knocked off balance and fell onto the street. He stayed down for several minutes, so I started to walk away.

"Where do ya think yer goin', eh? I ain't done yet!" He got up again and ran up behind me and jumped on my back. He started choking me, and dragging me down onto the sidewalk. I spun us around and slammed my back into the brick wall, making him loosen his grip. He didn't let go, and I was starting to get dizzy from lack of oxygen. I grabbed his arms with mine and the burned bandages on my left arm ell away.

There was a man hanging off my back and I was face-to-arm with a very non-human, very attached-to-me arm. I yelled and threw myself back into the wall again. I tightened my grip on the man's arm and watched with sick amazement as claws sunk into the man's flesh. He screamed and finally let me go. He sunk down and sat on the ground. I turned around and stared down at him.

"What the hell are you? What is that thing? You're not human, get away from me!" The man gently grabbed his arm, got up and ran away.

I stared at my arm in awe. That was a very good question. What the hell _was_ this thing? I flexed my fingers and sure enough this strange appendage moved exactly the way I wanted it to.

Maybe I _should_ pay a visit to the Science Compound, too when I'm finished here at the theatre.

I kept walking toward the theatre—with more direction this time—and reached it fairly quickly. I was about to walk through the doors when I felt a strange presence wash over me. It was strangely calming. Like swimming in cool, river water after you've been working in the hot sun all day.

I turned around to see a young girl that looked like the one I saw earlier, only with dark brown eyes. She seemed very, _very_ familiar. Like a best friend you can't remember the name of no matter how hard you try.

She walked up to me from the Compound after tucking a stray hair behind her ear and waiting a substantial amount of time before crossing the street. She stared at me for quite some time, looking confused and slightly horrified, before she came closer and placed a small hand on my arm.

It felt so good. The moment she touched me, all the pain and worries and thoughts all fled my mind. At that moment, it didn't matter if I didn't know who I was or where I was from. I felt safer than I ever had talking to the old woman or walking alone down the side streets. I was completely calm and at peace, but a little flag went off in my head with Joel's warning ringing in my ears: _Never talk to people you don't know._

Granted, I'd already broke that rule several times already, it seemed prudent to hold to it at this moment. I trust my instincts after all. And no matter how happy I felt looking in her eyes, I wasn't completely sure I could trust her…

She stroked my arm and smiled up at me, "Haji…"

I looked down at her, "Who are you?"

**Chapter Three: End**


	5. 1543 Chateau Duel Chardonnay

**Memories**

**Disclaimer:** Even after four chapters of saying this, I still don't own Blood+. It feels like I should own something by now though…

**Note: **Check out Darisu-chan's "Our Love is Gone"

2/24/12: Revised and edited; hope you all enjoy the new and improved version.

x-X-x

"Haji…"

He looked down at her, "Who are you?"

She looked pained by this, but really this was a rather easy question to answer.

"It's me, Saya. What's wrong?"

_Was_ there something wrong? It didn't feel like it. He felt rather good actually.

"…"

"Come on, let's go inside. I've been so worried about you."

"Why?"

"Because you're...I…. Don't you remember me?"

"No."

Her face fell. She felt like she'd just been punched in the gut by one of her friends—which figuratively, she supposed she had. "Oh…" she said, looking for a change of subject. She looked back at his disheveled appearance, letting her hand graze over the shiny, new flesh where the burn marks had been.

Assuming a question, Haji answered before she could speak, "I got into a fight. You have not answered my question yet: Who are you?"

Saya looked confused, "I did answer you. I'm Saya."

"That is not what I meant. What I meant was who are you _to me_?"

"…oh," she breathed. "That is…hard…to answer."

"Do you not know?"

"I do, but—"

"Then explain, please, miss."

Saya let out a deep sigh. Had he actually forgotten her, or was he angry that she wasn't looking for him? She was, she just didn't know where to begin…

"I will, but will you please come inside? There's more to this than some random stranger walking up to you on the street."

"I am heading to the Opera House at the moment," he interrupted. "I believe I was announced missing not too long ago."

She shook her head and looked up at him. He looked just like he did when they met. He had that same expression on his face; the "who-in-the-world-are-you?-I-don't-even-know-you-and-now-I'm-stuck-with-you-for-the-rest-of-my-life?" look. Except the look had changed slightly. Instead of "the rest of my life", it had turned into "I'm supposed to trust you not to kill me in some compound while my family is searching for me somewhere?".

"You're not the missing opera house man. He was found about six days ago. His car lost control and almost hit me. You're the one who was hit instead. You're the one who saved me, but if you come in with me, I'll explain everything better."

"Joel told me not to talk with people I don't know. I'm pretty sure that extends to not going into strange compounds with a person who walks up to you and pets your arm."

She gave him a small, sad little smile. "I hope I'm not still a stranger after all these years."

Haji didn't know why, but he felt compelled to make her feel better. He wanted that sad smile to turn into a happy one for absolutely no reason at all. He wanted to take her hand and lead her where ever she wished to go. To make that sad look in her eyes disappear.

And he had no idea why.

She was a stranger. She shouldn't even matter. But then again, she was the first person to know his name. The first one to walk up to _him_ and talk. She gave him the warm, fuzzy feeling he had been read to about as a child. She probably _could_ help him. He may as well go. With his strange arm, he was sure he would be able to overpower her if she tried to attack him. Even without his strange arm he could overpower her, he'd bet.

"All right. It's Saya, right?"

"Yeah." She walked up to him and took his chiropteran hand in hers without even thinking about it. She did notice, though, when he ripped it out of her grasp with a scared, horrified look on his face. "I'm sorry."

"You're—You're not going to run? The other man did."

She let out a sorrowful laugh, "If I left you because of your arm, I'd be no better than my sister and James. I'd never be able to look at myself straight again…"

There was that sadness again. God, how he wanted to make it go away. He didn't even know her, he shouldn't feel like this. And the thing was, even with these few short words, he was beginning to think that he was the reason for her sadness. And for some unknown reason, he didn't like that. Not at all. It even made him angry with himself for not knowing what to do to stop himself from making her sad.

He didn't have any reason to be feeling this way.

She gently led him—without any physical contact, she noted—to the Science Compound and back to Julia.

There was a foose-ball table in the main entry of the Compound, which was currently occupied by Kai and Riku, who looked like they were having the Super Bowl of foose-ball. When the boys heard the little bell above the door jingle they both looked up. Riku was the first to respond. He flew from the table and over to Saya's side in an instant.

"Saya! Saya, Kai and me are playing foose-ball. Do you and Haji wanna play, too? I'm beating Kai now; it's so funny!"

"Hey, you found him." Kai said, leaning back down to the table. Then, after a quick glimpse of Haji and his clothes, did a double-take and let out a sharp whistle. "Damn, man, you get run over or somethin'?"

Saya shot him a dirty look. "You know what happened! You moron, I can't believe you just said that."

Haji thought it was reassuring that she was finally showing some signs of life—other than the exhausting sadness, of course. There was a fire in her eyes as she yelled at this boy, "Kai", that was somehow refreshing to see.

Saya looked up worriedly at Haji and wondered if he remembered that he was in a car crash. Because of her. She hoped he didn't remember _that_ part…

"Do you want new clothes? You've been wearing those for a while, and they're, well, horrible now. Kai has some clothes; I know you don't like blue-jeans, but they're all that's here right now, and I'll go shopping and get you another suit, and—"

Haji zoned out; which pretty much meant that he just got quieter than usual, that his eyes stopped following her hands as they moved, and that he didn't hear a word she said.

"_Are you ready yet? Do you need help?"_

"_Haji, I do not understand this! Come do it for me."_

_He walked over to the big oak desk and leaned over the dark-haired girl's shoulder. "What are you doing?"_

"_Do not stare. It is rude! For your information, I am trying to make a card for my sister. Joel said that her birthday is on the same day as mine."_

"_That is nice of you…"_

_The girl turned around in her chair and he winced as he heard the wooden legs scraping against the hardwood floor. "Are you trying to imply that I am not nice? That is so mean! Get out! I do not need your help, I will do it myself!"_

_Haji bowed low to the girl. "Forgive me. That is not what I meant. What I meant was that you taking time out of your schedule is a very kind thing for you to be doing. It was merely a compliment, nothing more."_

"_Oh. I see. Well, in that case, you may stay."_

"_Excuse me, but are you sure that a birthday card for someone else is supposed to have your name on it?"_

_The girl held it up in the light. "I like it. I am sure that my sister will appreciate the effort I have put into creating this especially for her. She will be delighted to see a birthday present. I was told by Joel that she has never received a birthday present before, so it was my wish to give her her first present. I hope that she does like it, though. It would be horrible to visit her and have her turn away my gift. Especially after I worked so hard on it."_

"_I am sure she will be very grateful to receive your gift; there is no need for nervousness."_

"_I am not nervous. She will love my gift. If she does not, then I shall simply take it away from her."_

"_You are nervous. You have only ever talked this much when you are nervous about something. Do not worry, she will love it. Amshel's idea was a wonderful one, I have no doubts."_

_The girl sighed and stuck the card into a homemade envelope. "Right. I hope you are right, Haji. Thank you."_

"_Of course." He turned and bowed out of the room, heading toward the Rose Tower. He must talk with the singing girl before Mistress presented her with her gift…_

"You're nervous."

"What?"

"You only talk this much when you're nervous."

"You remember that? What else do you remember?"

"Nothing. That was just a flash of something. I'm not even sure it was you."

"Of all the things to remember about me, you remember my big mouth. That figures," Saya muttered to herself, drifting down one of the main hallways.

Haji trailed behind her, noting all the doors and rooms he went by. It wouldn't do to be lost here and have to ask this stranger for help. Joel would scold him to no end for the indecency.

She stopped in front of one of the sleeping quarters and opened the door. The room held a bunk-bed, a small TV on a stand, and two nightstands that were supposed to serve as temporary dressers for whatever quack felt the need to move into his office.

Besides the permanent furniture, there were clothes hanging off the bed and the ceiling fan—how they got up there Haji didn't even want to know—spinning in slow circles, a Playstation2 with all its guts spilled out in a pile on the floor, the remotes wound up tight on top of a mini-fridge someone had brought in, a pile of rumpled magazines, a biology textbook—still in its original plastic—two toothbrushes in a cup on the TV, and a bag of animal crackers sitting on the lower bunk's pillow.

"This is my brothers' –Riku's and Kai's—room. I'm sure there are clean clothes in here somewhere."

Kai must've heard this because a moment later they heard him call, "The ones on the fan are clean; we put them there to dry!"

"Aah…that explains a lot…"

"…"

She proceeded to enter the room, grab a pair of flying blue-jeans, and a vaguely matching button-down shirt, and handed them to him. "The bathroom is right across the hall there; call if you need anything."

And with that, she turned and headed back toward the direction of the brothers, leaving Haji standing confused in the middle of the hallway.

Right, clothes. That was a good idea; he didn't like walking around half naked with weird scars and freaky arms showing. That wasn't a good way to meet people. He walked into the bathroom and was surprised to find not only a bathing tub, but indoor facilities as well. Things were so much different here than they were back home with Joel. He would be interested to know of these strange objects.

Haji set the clothes on a vanity in front of a mirror and took off his shorn jacket. He was just about to unbutton his shirt when he realized that the buttons had melted into the fabric. Did this count as him needing anything? Should he call for her? It was awkward trying to get the shirt off without undoing the buttons, but it was even more awkward trying to unbutton them himself while he was still in said shirt. Haji fumbled around for a few more moments and bumped into the door. Apparently, the girl-Saya-was walking by at that moment.

"Are you alright, Haji?"

"I may need some assistance with my shirt," he said, talking through the door.

"I see. Mind if I come in?"

"That would make helping me slightly easier."

Saya twisted the doorknob as Haji tripped away from the door to avoid being squished. She pushed it open to reveal a very revealed Haji. His jacket was gone, tossed on the floor—something he never would've done if it had been in wearable condition, and his arms were akimbo, sticking out at strange angles as he tried to maneuver his way around in the shirt.

"So what can I help you with?"

"My shirt melted."

Saya cocked an eyebrow, "Excuse me?"

"The buttons on my shirt are melted. I can't get it off."

"Oh, I see." She stepped into the small bathroom and circled him, looking at how they could get the shirt off. "Let's pull it out of your bottoms first."

"What?" He asked innocently. He practically jumped out of his skin when he felt her little hands slip underneath his leather belt and into his pants, pulling the fabric out of the way. "Wh—What are you doing?"

"Just hang on…" she said, looking determinedly down at his waist.

She wrapped her slender arms around him to the front of his body. Feeling around for the silver belt buckle as a midpoint, she could hear Haji's heart pounding in her grasp. She smiled, knowing that even after forty years since they'd last held each other, she could still make his heart race. And with so little contact, too. But then again, he always was incredibly responsive to her. He never held anything back; it was part of his nature.

"_Saya! There you are, I have been looking everywhere for you!" Haji said, running up to her._

_It was a sunny day; she wanted to enjoy it. So what did she do? She told Joel that she would be taking cooking lessons with the maids, so he wouldn't be expecting her for her academic lessons. Then she went down to the kitchens and told the head chef that she would be busy all afternoon with Joel's lessons, so the cooks wouldn't expect to see her all evening._

_It was perfect._

_And it worked._

_She ditched the servants and Joel and went outside with a blanket to lie in the grass under the sun._

_The warmth felt so good. It seeped through all the layers of her dress and warmed her limbs and helped her to relax. In fact, she was just about asleep when she saw Haji running toward her with a thankfully large picnic basket._

"_Haji! What have you been doing all day?"_

_He stopped and sat down beside her on the blanket. "I should be asking you that. It wasn't very long before Joel got hungry, you know. So down he goes to the kitchens to get some food and check up on you and guess what; no Saya. He asked the chef where you were and he said he thought you were with Mr. Joel. Oh, he was mad! He came all the way downstairs to my quarters, screaming and yelling about how his dear girl has gone missing and wanting to know if I had seen you. I told him no I hadn't, so since neither one of us knew where you were, we've got the entire mansion looking for you. Is this what you've been doing all day?"_

_Saya shut her eyes as the clouds unblocked the sun. "Yes."_

_Haji sighed. "Why?"_

"_It is a nice day out," she smiled. "What did you bring with you?"_

_He laughed, "Are you hungry?"_

"_I've been gone since morning. So, yes, I'm quite hungry."_

"_Alright, let's eat then. After that, we probably should get back."_

"_Oh, fine."_

_Haji pulled out several different kinds of meats and cheeses from the little wicker basket. Then he pulled out the last item: a 1543 Château Duel chardonnay._

"_Haji, that wine is 150 years old! Where'd you get it?"_

"_From Mr. Joel's cabinet…"_

"_Fancy, aren't we?"_

"_Only the best for you, and besides, you broke the rules taking an entire day off, so I can break the rules and take one measly bottle of chardonnay from a full cabinet."_

_Saya laughed, "Of course you can! I won't tell."_

_Haji poured two glasses, "Good, then here's to you, Saya."_

"_And to you," she said as the glasses clinked together._

_The two drank for several hours, only nibbling on the other food, until the sun began to set. Saya's face was looking a little rosy by the time they started to speak again._

"_Tonight's really pretty, huh?"_

"_Yes…" Haji was looking a little worse for the wear as well at the moment; it was the most he'd had to drink in his relatively short life so far._

"_Tee-hee!" Saya laughed._

"_Saya, are you drunk?"_

"_No! Of course not, silly. I'm never drunk."_

"_Me either, too."_

"_Huh?"_

_Haji turned quickly to look at Saya and managed to slosh the red liquor all over her blue silk dress. "Oh, sorry, Saya. Here, let me get that for you," he stuttered, leaning over her, quite effectively and inadvertently pinning her to the ground._

"_Oh, Haji…"_

"…_Saya…"_

"_Tonight's really pretty, huh?"_

_He looked straight in her eyes, "Yes, it is. It's absolutely beautiful."_

_She blushed and pressed her hands against his chest in a show of lady-like amusement. "Haji…"_

_He smiled at her and leaned in…_

"What are you doing?" Haji repeated for the third time. He was beginning to get worried; she hadn't spoken or moved in several minutes.

"Huh?" Saya zoned back in and realized her arms were securely wrapped around Haji's torso and she had a definite blush around her face. "Oh, right. I was just pulling your shirt out of you bottoms. That way the shirt will just lift off over your head. See?" She ducked around his arms to the front of his chest, told him to bend over, and pulled the shirt right off his back.

So he was shirtless…

…standing in front of her…

Yummy.

Haji had the absolutely most gorgeous body in the world. He was thin, but not skinny, and muscular. His abs were defined in a definite toned way, but not overly done like some beach surfer boy who had a twelve pack. His burn scars were sleek and shiny and gave him a dangerous-but-I'll-protect-you look. Even without half of his clothes on, Haji carried himself in a very dignified, classic way that was…

Drop.

Dead.

Sexy.

Saya's knees almost gave from under her; the only thing keeping her standing was the vanity she was leaning against. "So—So, do you need anything e—else?"

"No, thank you. I think I will be fine now."

"O—Okay, good."

Saya turned and practically ran out of the bathroom; she had forgotten how good he looked without all those annoying clothes on.

About ten minutes later, Haji came out of the bathroom feeling very self-conscious in a red and white striped button down shirt and a pair of faded blue jeans. He looked strange to himself; like he really didn't belong here.

He walked around the big complex until he found the room where Saya and all her other…friends—he assumed, sat on big comfy looking leather couches.

"Aah, good, you're dressed now. You look nice." Saya said, looking up from a card game with a older blonde-haired man.

"Thank you."

"Sit down, somewhere. It's alright; everyone here knows you. Julia will be here in a moment."

Haji quickly took a seat beside her and the blonde man and noticed a slightly surprised expression on Saya's face. Didn't she just tell him to sit down? Did he do something wrong?

"Your turn, David," Saya said, talking to the blonde man, her face completely smooth again.

"Go fish…"

"What, again? Are you sure?"

"Yes, look!" David flashed his hand; he was new at card games.

"Aagh! You're not supposed to do that! Fine, I'll draw…" Saya picked up a card from a pile in the center of the table.

"Okay, so where is he?" came a velvety voice from behind them.

Haji turned around and had to clench his jaw to keep it from falling to the floor. The woman that had just walked in the room was wearing the most revealing dress he had ever seen. It was a short knee-length black dress that had an extreme V-neck that plunged straight down to her naval. Plus the fact that she was rather well-endowed…

**Chapter Four: End**


	6. Amnesia

**Memories**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own blood, but I do own this lovely little plotline I've got going on here…

**A/N: **This is dedicated to Lynn1494.

2/24/12: Revised and edited; hope you all enjoy the new and improved version.

x-X-x

"Ah, Julia, yes, he's here now," David said, standing up to greet this Julia person.

"Good. How are you feeling, Haji?"

"Just fine, thank you."

She turned to Saya, looking her up and down. "You look better than the last time I saw you; a little red maybe…"

"Yeah, well, I've got a good reason for that," she blushed. No reason to tell Julia what happened in the bathroom; she could keep that to herself.

"So, Haji," Julia said, clasping her hands behind her back and turning her attention back to him, "I see you've gotten yourself into quite a mess while you've been gone. Saya tells me that you can't remember a thing. Is that right?"

"Yes."

"I see," she said, turning again to write something in a little notebook. "And how long ago did you lose your memory?"

"I don't know; a day or so ago. But I can't remember anything about myself."

"Ahem…" she said, writing again. "Tell me, do you remember what happened to you approximately one week ago? Can you tell me where you've been?"

Haji thought about it, "No."

Saya sighed from her place on the couch. "See, I told you he doesn't remember."

"True enough," Julia responded, "But when you woke up this last time, you didn't remember a thing either. I think we should wait and see if he recovers his memory on his own." Julia continued writing for a couple moments before she took a sharp breath. "Haji…?"

He looked over to her, "Yes?"

"…Do you remember Saya?"

The entire room grew quiet and stared at Haji, waiting for his answer. Even the boys stopped their game to hear what he said.

He looked confused that such a question would need the attention of every person in the room. He looked to Saya for any signs of recognition, but none came. He dropped his gaze and answered, "No."

Mumbles and whispers erupted throughout the room as Julia continued her furious scribbling on her defenseless notebook, "This could pose a problem. Yes, a very big problem. She must feed…fighting…Diva's awake…" she mumbled.

Saya stood up quickly with a stern expression on her face. "That is enough. There is no problem here," she said fiercely. "I don't care if he cannot remember; it is irrelevant. The last time we saw any sign of Diva at all was when she was in New Zealand. We're in America; there's no need to fight."

Haji stared, silent and confused at the exchange.

"You know as well as everyone else that her location changes daily…" David said, still sitting.

"Saya, we need to be careful right now—" the older boy cautioned.

"It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter," Saya said, shaking her head. "I can still fight if the need comes; but at the moment there's no threat. Let's not worry about a problem that doesn't exist."

"You realize that we are not strong enough to take down any attacking chiropteran at the moment even if Haji had his memory; this puts us all in very great danger," Julia said, trying to reason with her.

"Yes, I know all that. You're low on ammunition, but that doesn't stop _me_ from fighting!" Saya said, throwing her hands up and storming out of the room. Of course, she realized after she'd done it that it was unbelievable childish, but she didn't really care. This whole situation had pissed her off, and now she needed time to think things through.

Haji didn't remember her. She began pacing little circles into the floor the moment she reached her room in the Compound. He didn't remember anything about her and that hurt like hell. She wondered if he felt like this after all the times she woke up with him forgotten; when he'd been trying to help her at the school and she'd ran away from him. Oh God, that must've hurt. She'd have to apologize for all those times when this was over. He'd get his memory back, she had to believe that. If he didn't, well, she didn't know what he'd do.

How could he forget her though? _When_ did he forget her? He was her chevalier; was it even possible? Was he faking it?

These thoughts and dozens just like them swam through her head as a breeze blew in through her open window. Down across the street, a couple kids were playing ball. The scent of their blood and sweat and racing heartbeats drifted in through the window and bombarded her senses, making her suddenly thirsty. She hadn't had any blood since Haji had disappeared a week ago. Maybe what Julia had said about the feedings would be a problem after all. She sure as hell wouldn't bite Haji without his knowledge and consent though. And no matter what Riku said, he was just too young. It didn't feel right. She supposed she'd have to have Julia or Louis go to the blood bank tomorrow…

x-X-x

Haji and the others watched Saya turn and storm out of the room. He was confused. He was more than confused actually, but he just couldn't think of a stronger word. He couldn't figure out why Saya had gotten so angry about him losing his memory.

"_Unless she was part of my memory," _Haji mentally smacked himself for not noticing earlier. It made sense; what with all the sadness and the clothes thing and everything else, it fit. How big of a part she was in his life still remained a mystery, but at least he felt like he was getting somewhere.

"Who's Joel?" He asked out-of-the-blue.

"Depends which one you mean," David answered, not looking up from an apparently very interesting game of solitaire. Julia was glaring at him over her notes.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"A man named Joel is all I seem to remember; that man and a big house. Every time I try doing something, "Joel" pops into my mind and tells me otherwise. Do you know who he is?"

"No, not personally. No one does; except Saya and yourself," answered a younger looking man who was sitting in a wheel-chair. "The Joel you're thinking of is my great-great-grandfather—Joel I. I'm afraid he passed away quite some time ago. I'm Joel V."

"I see. How did he die?" Haji asked, saddened by the fact that the one person he solidly remembered was dead.

Every gaze in the room shifted uncomfortably, trying to avoid eye contact so they wouldn't have to answer his question. It wasn't an easy thing to tell after all.

"You should go to Saya," the younger boy said, finally speaking up. "She should have calmed down by now."

"Where is her room?"

"Go down this hall, take a right, and it's the second door on the right," Kai told him.

Haji nodded and silently walked away. Walking down the hallway, he could hear her talking to herself. Actually she was cursing herself. As to why, he had no idea. He walked up to her door—the one with the "Mao and Saya—Stay out or face our wrath…and facemasks" sign and knocked.

"Who is it?"

"Haji."

Saya sighed and dragged herself to the door. She quickly smoothed her hair and smacked her cheeks to give them some color before she opened the door. He was standing there looking somewhat dazed, but seemed otherwise okay. "Do you need something?" Saya asked, trying to control her raspy voice; between cursing herself and yelling at no one, her voice had gotten surprisingly dry.

"I just wanted to talk."

She stood solidly in front of the door, slightly on guard for some reason. "Okay then, talk."

Haji sighed and leaned back against the opposite wall of the hallway. Apparently he wasn't going to be getting in any time soon. "You seem to know me better than anyone else here."

She scoffed, "Good job, you can see the obvious. Is that all you wanted to say?"

"Not even close. I just don't want to say it all standing in an open hallway, anyone could overhear our conversation."

She sighed in vague annoyance; she had wanted to be alone for a while, and shifted to the side, granting him access to her room. It was plain compared to the boys'. The room was furnished with two beds, a TV with a stand, two dressers, a very large instrument case in the corner, and a computer blinking some random nonsense across the screen. The other girl was nowhere to be seen; presumably, as Kai had said, with the writer man, Okamura, on some secret date.

Haji walked in and gracefully sat on the edge of a bed—Mao's, actually—while Saya took the computer chair. He sighed again and decided the best plan of action was to speak directly and not beat around the proverbial bush. He wanted to know what she knew, and the only way to do that was to ask.

"So what would you like to know, Haji?" Saya said, swiveling around in circles in her chair. She absolutely loved chairs like the one she was in at the moment. The ones that leaned back and swiveled in circles and the entire chair rolled around on the floor. They made her feel important; like a CEO or something.

"Could we start off easy?"

"Sure. Whatever you want to ask, I'll answer it to the best of my ability, alright?"

"How long have we known each other?"

"A little over one hundred years."

Haji cocked an eyebrow. Well that figures. She was a liar; and a rather bad one at that. He sighed and asked the obvious follow up question: "How old am I?"

"You'll be one hundred and thirty seven this December."

He gaped. "How old are you?"

"One hundred and sixty three," Saya answered calmly. She didn't want to lie to him, but she didn't exactly expect him to believe her if he had amnesia.

"Liar."

Saya reached into a drawer of the computer desk and took out two candy bars. She threw one to Haji and tore off the wrapper of the other. "How so?" she asked with a mouth full of chocolate.

"I'm older than you."

"Really? And how did you figure that one out? One sixty three is more than one thirty six last time I checked."

"I have to be older than you; you look like you're sixteen!"

"And…what's your point?"

"My point is that I look much older than you." He looked down at the floor, completely confused.

"That's true, but I hate to break it to you, but I've got thirty years on you."

"That can't be…"

"Sorry."

Haji finally remembered what he'd come to her to ask and lifted his head. "Who's Joel?" he asked suddenly.

Saya nearly choked on her chocolate. "What?"

"Who's Joel?" he repeated.

"No, I heard what you said. It's just that you remember _Joel_ and not me? That's really sweet of you." Saya said almost bitterly.

"The Joel in the main room said that he died several years ago, but that you knew him personally?"

"Which proves my age; so you may as well believe me on that point."

Haji sighed, "All right."

"He was…sort of like my father. We grew up in the Zoo with him."

"Excuse me?" He grew up in a zoo?

Saya swiveled back around to look at him and see which part he was confused on; of course it was the Zoo hitch…again. This reminded her vaguely of the conversation she'd had with the nurse back at the hospital a couple days ago. She couldn't understand why no one knew what the Zoo was, but then again, they didn't have to grow up there.

"Not like an animal Zoo, it was sort of like a people zoo. Joel liked to do experiments on whatever people or animals he found, so I never got to see him much. We pretty much spent all of our time together doing nothing."

Oo-kay…that was creepy. "We spent a lot of time together? How did we meet?"

Saya blushed; this was going to be the hard part, "Well, you see, I was fencing one day and Amshel told me that he brought me a companion to play with—I was bored quite a bit without anyone to talk to—and voila, he introduced me to you. Not that you liked me much at the time…"

That was a very, very sugar-coated version of what had happened, she realized this, but really couldn't bring herself to tell him the entire truth. He seemed happier not having memories of their time together.

"You're taking all this very well, Haji," she said, voicing her thoughts.

"Yes, well, I suppose I may be in shock."

"I think it's all for the best, actually."

"What, that I can't remember anything?"

"You seem happier, and definitely more talkative. We haven't talked like this in a very long time. I missed your company—"

They were interrupted by a furious knocking on the door. Kai swung it open and leaned in, obviously out of breath. "Saya, Haji," he said, talking to both, but only looking at Saya, "you won't believe this. A chiropteran was just spotted at the school outside of town. We have to go. Now." The door slammed shut as he turned and ran back up the halls to the main room, leaving a determined Saya and a bewildered Haji in his wake.

Saya flew about the room with a drawn look on her face. She picked up the massive cello case in the corner of the room and set it on her bed. Popping a special compartment in the top of the case open, she grabbed an old fashioned katana, and ran to the window. She unsheathed the sword and threw the scabbard on the floor and cast Haji a hard stare.

"Do _not_ leave here under any circumstances. Do you hear me?"

Haji, speechless, just nodded his head and watched as the black headed girl swiftly jumped out the single story window and ran down the middle of the street.

She joined David, Louis, and Kai on the street and jumped into the Jeep. "Well?" she demanded.

"The chiropteran showed up earlier today at roughly 2p.m. but quickly vanished before we had a chance to kill it." David answered stoically. "I guess he just wanted to come back for seconds; it's already killed two teachers and six students at the elementary school up ahead. We've got to stop it now, everyone. This could be our only chance before it collects more victims."

"Right," they all agreed simultaneously.

Louis drove the Jeep recklessly through the late night traffic, ignoring stop lights and honks from other drivers and quickly came upon the elementary school. It was burning, the smoke billowing up into the starry sky. The fire lit the area, allowing everyone to see what was happening. Saya saw the chiropteran on the roof, preparing to fly and promptly jumped out of the roofless backseat of the Jeep. There was only one chiropteran, she thought. It would be tough without Haji fighting with her, but at the moment he couldn't be risked in a fight.

Saya ran recklessly up the school stairs to the roof, the smoke nearly blinding her. The chiropteran sensed her presence and turned, fixing her with a cold, red-eyed stare.

She slit her thumb on her blade and gladly returned the look. She charged it while it was gaining its footing and was greeted with a sturdy wing in the side. She was thrown back into a ventilation duct, which bent easily under the force of impact.

Ignoring the pain and wetness dripping down her arm, which meant she'd been cut somehow, she ran forward again, this time meeting claws and a vicious bite on the shoulder. Saya cried out and dropped her sword. She looked down at the Jeep that was just peeling onto the school yard and watched as Kai and David jumped out of the vehicle and opened fire on the two of them on the roof.

One of the shots grazed Saya's ear and the other hit her square in her leg.

"_Damn," _she thought, _"I'm losing too much blood. Things are already going downhill fast…"_

x-X-x

Haji couldn't shake the feeling that something was very wrong. He felt like he should've left with Saya. Instead, he was playing a strange card game with the youngest boy, Riku—one he was losing at that.

"Do you know why everyone left in such a hurry…umm…?"

"It's Riku. And nope, I don't. I'm guessing it was another chiropteran, so they'll all probably be back later tonight hopefully."

"I see. What is a _chiropteran?_" he asked, carefully maneuvering his mouth around the word; it seemed like whenever he heard or spoke it, his blood ran cold and his heart sped up.

"It's a really bad monster that likes to kill humans and drink their blood. They're not really traditional vampires though…"

"And Saya and everyone went out to do what exactly?"

Riku looked up over his cards, "Kill it, of course."

Well, Haji knew what that feeling pulling him towards the door was now. He had to get back to Saya; had to fight alongside her. If he didn't and she got hurt he sensed it might very well be the end of his world. Instinctually (or repetitiously, you choose), he went down the hallway at a brisk jog and entered Saya's room. He grabbed the giant cello off the bed and ran back to the main room where Riku was waiting, covered in scattered playing cards.

Haji gave the boy a stern look as he fixed the case onto his shoulder and repeated what Saya had said to him, "Do _not_ leave here under any circumstances. Do you hear me?"

Riku nodded and watched transfixed as Haji transformed back into his old quiet, stoic self and sprinted out the door.

Haji ran full speed down the middle of the street and mentally took a backseat as his unconscious chevalier abilities took control of his body. His running became more fluid and streamlined as he dashed across the pavement. His sharp eyes locked onto a tiny little Camry parked and sitting on the edge of the street he headed straight for it and bounded off the frame and took to the rooftops, leaping from building to building, making a B-line path straight for the elementary school. He had it in his sight; could see the smoke billowing up into the sky for blocks before he reached it.

"_Oh, God, no…"_ he thought as soon as his eyes trained themselves upon the chiropteran and a small body wrapped in its arms, walking along the grounds towards another vehicle.

Haji withdrew a dagger from his sleeve—he'd put it there after removing it from his previous jacket when he was changing—and drew into target range. He aimed for the thing's eye and hit it dead on.

x-X-x

"_Kai, David, stop shooting, damn it!" _Saya mentally cursed. They had horrible aim; they'd already hit her once and it looked like they were trying to put another round in her. The chiropteran tightened its grip around her body when one of the stray bullets found its way into its shoulder. Apparently, Louis had started shooting as well.

The thing let out a loud howl and jumped down off the roof onto the ground. Kai stumbled backwards as it leapt towards him, making him drop his gun. David dove back behind the Jeep's door and opened fire on them again, completely missing.

Saya was losing blood fast and it was beginning to affect her consciousness. The jerk of their landing didn't help much either, so she was fairly certain she was hallucinating when she looked up at the chiropteran and saw a deep blue dagger protruding from its eye. She looked in the direction it was thrown from—a painful feat, considering she was wrapped up in its arms—and saw a familiar silhouette running calmly towards her.

"H-Haji!" she coughed.

He dashed across the school yard, barely noting the men poised in various attack positions on the ground, and threw another knife at the chiropteran which sunk cleanly into the side of its skull. The arms immediately loosened around Saya. She sank to the ground with a soft thud, leaving Haji open to attack it with his claws and ever helpful cello case.

Kai had long since recovered from shock of the leap and was shooting rapid-fire at the two that were seemingly dancing across the grounds.

David, unfortunately, had run out of ammunition and was doing recon at the moment. He scooped a delirious Saya into his arms and took her to Louis sitting in the backseat of the Jeep for some quick amateur medical treatment.

"There's not much I can do for her here, David. It's blood loss; you know what she needs…" he said, trailing off, watching Haji fighting the chiropteran.

Meanwhile, Haji was preoccupied with the creature that was in front of him. _So this is a chiropteran…_

He'd thrust and parried every blow that was sent his way by the thing and landed even more, but no matter what he did it just wouldn't go down. His body kept moving, without him telling it to do anything at all. He bent in way he'd never imagined possible for the human body when it would lunge in at his chest, and his limbs stretched and bent into odd angles as they deflected and avoided injury. His deformed arm seemed to be his best weapon against it though. The daggers only hindered its progress, but that arm of his looked like it was actually doing some damage. If he consciously tried fighting it though, he got hit and got the wind knocked out of him, so he thought it wiser to let his mind sit back and enjoy the ride. Subconsciously he knew he was appalled and repulsed by the creature and himself; his nature, he felt, was a calm and passive one, not aggressive like this.

In the middle of one of his blows, while he was trying to turn the chiropteran's attention back to himself, he saw Saya enter the school out of the corner of his eye; for what, he could only guess though, until she emerged a few moments later carrying a bloody sword at her side.

Slightly distracted, he watched as her eyes turned from a chocolaty brown to bright crimson red and watched her petite little hands slice themselves open, adding her blood to the blade. She charged the beast, only slightly woozy from her blood loss and sliced straight through the thing's arm. Blood sprayed the two, spattering her, making her look slightly possessed in the cloudy moonlight. Haji's eyes widened as he witnessed the sight, his mind throwing him back in time to thirty years ago…

_The sounds of the swampy mountains filled the air. Helicopters flew in low overhead, releasing soldiers parachuting to the ground. He looked around frantically for her, but couldn't see her anywhere. There was too much smoke; too many people; not enough time…_

_Nevertheless, he searched for her. He had to find her before someone awoke her into this mess. They mustn't get involved in human matters. She had told him that._

_She'd also told him that there was no way that man's wars would extend this high into the mountains. She was sleeping here, right in the middle of the death and destruction. She would be pleased at the sight of the beautiful chaos and madness if she were awake. She would be pissed to hear she missed it when she awoke in fifteen years._

_He had to move her before some idiotic human "doctor" or –God forbid—a soldier tried to see her._

_Haji ran up the mountain to the tunnel that penetrated the side and entered it. He was so relieved to see the cocoon still intact where he left it, but as he walked around to look and see if the entire thing was undamaged, he saw the enormous tear in the silkiness._

_She was gone. Awake. Fifteen years early…_

_Fuck._

_Haji sprinted back down the mountainside. As he reached the beginning of the tree line he heard an explosion and the distinct sound of men screaming. He sped forward toward the base. A tent was standing in the center of the base, a pure white amid the forest's natural greens, but as Haji entered the grounds, he saw a streak of red stain the side of the tent._

_She was here._

"_I found you…" he sighed._

_The girl came out of the tent, clad only in a thin medical gown that the humans must've given her. Her sword was at her side; a bloody extension of her arm. Her long, dark hair swung around her body, framing her in the ghastly light as she mercilessly slaughtered the civilians and soldiers that occupied the base._

"_Good, you're alright." He smiled at her, happy to see her after so many years._

_She didn't answer him, just charged forward again. He was still smiling as she cleaved his arm from his body. He screamed and fell backwards away from her, looking up into her face._

_She didn't recognize him. He could tell by the way she stood over him, glaring down with those glowing eyes…_

Haji jerked back into the present and leapt away from Saya and the chiropteran. She looked up at him with focused eyes and watched his face lose its emotionless-ness. He looked shocked and afraid standing frozen in the school yard. Saya quickly did away with the chiropteran, piercing it through the heart and waited as it crystallized and shattered in front of her.

"Haji…" she breathed, stepping toward him.

"D—Don't!"

"Haji…?"

He turned and fled from them. He had to get away from there. His heart was racing as his eyes started to tear up. Something was wrong about this scene. Very wrong. He happened to glance up at the moon as he was running and saw a man clad in white staring down at him, framed in moonlight…

**Chapter Five: End**


	7. The White Clad Man

**Memories**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Blood+, but I'd really like to, so if the person who _does _own it is reading this and doesn't want it anymore, I'll be more than happy to take it off your hands! :D

**A/N: **This chapter is dedicated to my wonderful little reviewer fruitsbasketfreak08!

2/24/12: Revised and edited; hope you all enjoy the new and improved version.

x-X-x

Riku looked up as the door slammed itself open. "Hey, guys, how'd it go?"

David cleared the way as Kai ushered Saya into the Compound. "Louis, get Julia in here, now!"

"Roger," he replied and went to do as he was told.

"What's wrong, everyone?"

"Saya, calm down! It's gonna be alright!" Kai said, trying to soothe her. It wasn't working. She was still thrashing about, crying and trying to go back to the school.

"Haji! Haji, come back! I promise I won't hurt you!" she cried, tears streaming down her face as David swiftly picked her up and took her down the hall to meet Louis and Julia.

Julia was clad in her white lab coat, complete with clipboard and stethoscope, walking alongside Louis. "What's wrong?"

"It's Saya. Haji's gone again."

She raised her eyebrows, "How did that happen?"

"We were fighting the chiropteran and Haji just flipped out and took off…" Kai supplied, walking up behind David and Saya.

Saya's crying had quieted to just tears and sharp intakes of breath. She'd seemed to have collapsed in David's arms, too drained to care anymore; her red eyes still blazing.

"Come with me," Julia ordered and took them all back to the same medical room they had been in about a week before. David set Saya gently down on the exam table, while Julia dug around in a little mini fridge for a pouch of blood. She turned and started setting up an IV while Kai continued filling her in on their escapades.

"No, I'll just take it now, please," Saya asked.

"Hmm?"

"The pouch. I'll just take it how it is, please."

Julia looked down at the pouch and back up to Saya. One quick look at the unintentionally hardened eyes and she quickly surrendered the blood. Saya downed it in one fast gulp and asked for another. Julia complied again and again as Saya drank nearly the entire stock of blood, without any lightening of her eye color.

"Saya…you know as well as I do that this human blood won't satisfy you—"

"Shut up!" she snapped back. "It's fine! I'm fine! I don't need your sympathy."

"That's not what I was saying. It's been quite a while since you've taken any of Haji's blood; that's where all your energy comes from. Not human blood; chevalier blood."

"No! This is fine! Get me another!" she yelled, quickly dispensing her eighth blood pouch. She saw David whisper something to Louis then quietly slip out of the room.

"Saya, just try to calm down, okay?" Kai said, trying to reason with her.

"How am I supposed to calm down when Haji's gone again? Hmm? What's that? Exactly! You don't know, so don't even try to calm me down!"

"So you and Haji killed the chiropteran? That's good. You saved a lot of lives, tonight, Saya. You should be happy. I'm sure the families of the one's that were killed would thank you as well." Julia said, trying to defuse the situation.

"Yeah, whatever. I couldn't care less now. What good are those lives if I couldn't even keep the one that I wanted beside me?" Saya pouted, relapsing back into audible sobs.

"You don't really mean that, Saya. It's not all that bad," Kai told her.

"Yes, it really is…"

David reentered the room, quietly and held the door open for Riku to follow him in.

"Hi, Saya, what's wrong?" Riku asked, confused. He walked up to her and took her hand in his as she finished yet another pouch.

"Hi, Riku," she answered. "It's nothing; I'm just a little sad."

Julia took the empty pouch from her and glared at David as he started to speak.

"Saya, you know that Julia was right when she said you need your chevalier's blood…"

"Yeah, _and_? Haji isn't here if you can't tell that already!"

He looked down, "No, he isn't…but Riku is…"

Saya looked up at David, horrified. "No! Absolutely not! You know I could never do that to Riku! I can't believe you'd even suggest something like that!"

"You need to regain your energy in a safe way. All this human blood isn't good for you. We don't know how much you can take in before you lose control," he reasoned.

"It doesn't matter. If I start losing control, I'll leave. I refuse to take blood from my little brother!"

"He's not your brother, Saya. He's your chevalier. You need to start thinking of that more," Louis supplied. "You two will be together for quite some time now. Sooner or later he will learn what he is; may as well be sooner."

"It's okay, Saya, go ahead," Riku smiled. "I don't mind if it'll help you feel better. Really, I don't."

"It's okay. I'm _not _taking your blood."

He pulled down his collar at the exact moment a school bus passed by. Even through the layers of glass, her sharp nose could smell all the children on board. In the back of her mind, she wondered why Riku himself wasn't in school at the moment, but all she could consciously register was the fact that she had just lunged forward and sunk her teeth into her little brother's neck. Her eyes glowed a furious crimson color as she sucked at the willing flesh. His warm blood pumped itself into her mouth, coating her teeth. She relished in the new flavor. It was like Haji's, but not. His blood was sweet, like an aged wine, while Riku's was almost chocolaty. She heard Riku sigh and felt his head tip back farther to allow her better entry. She lapped at the liquid and nearly purred at the pleasure of quenching her thirst. She licked at the wounds she placed on him and slowly straightened.

Wiping her mouth off, she stared at the shocked faces all around her. Some registered fear, like Julia and Joel; others showed a grotesque curiosity (Kai and David…). Only one registered something entirely different altogether. Riku, with his stained skin and soiled shirt, looked relaxed, content, and a little dazed, like he was on a morphine high without a care in the world.

"I think I'll go now…" she said uncertainly.

"Stay, Saya," Julia commanded. "You'll be fine now. I know that was hard, but you'll see that it was in your benefit. Actually, you should be glad he was here; if he wasn't and you'd lost control like that, you could've killed one of us."

"That's exactly why I should leave," Saya said.

"Not necessarily. Haji will come back as soon as he's calmed down. What do you think he'll do if you're not here when he gets back?"

"…"

"Exactly."

"Saya," Kai said, speaking up for the first time, "wh-why don't we g-go get Riku cleaned up."

She looked to her brothers; one was high and the other was scared half to death. Oh yeah, could she keep her family together or what? she thought bitterly.

She hesitated before answering, "Okay, sure."

Kai flinched as soon as Saya stepped forward, "Sorry…"

She grabbed Riku's hand and pulled him through the door, "It's alright, let's go…"

Riku obediently followed behind his two older siblings. _No wonder Haji's so quiet all the time; I've never felt that good before…_

x-X-x

Haji ran away from the school grounds fast. He wasn't in 'chevalier-mode' anymore, but he really wished he was. He wished that he hadn't turned and ran, but she scared him. The feeling was unsettlingly wrong. It should be alright to be afraid of someone you don't know, right?

Haji was annoyed and disturbed at the turn the night had taken. When he'd arrived at the Compound with that girl, he'd had no idea that she was a killer. That was frightening. In retrospect though, he supposed he shouldn't have run off like he did. But really, who could blame him.

He slowed his pace as he left the city. Eventually, he'd slowed as to where he was just walking along the interstate. The giant instrument case he'd slung on his back earlier looked rather unscathed. That was interesting, at least he didn't have to worry about bumping it on something. His pace came to stop as he looked into the window of a little diner with a jacket in the window.

_That looks familiar…_

He went inside and sat in a corner booth. Not really hungry, though—which he didn't understand because he couldn't even remember the last thing he'd eaten—he just shooed away all the waitresses that came to him and people watched.

He sat in the booth for quite a few hours until a man in a white suit walked over and slid into the seat opposite him.

"Hey," the blond man said.

"…"

"What are you doing in a place like this, Haji?"

"…"

"Play for me, please."

Haji did as he was told and took out the large instrument. He couldn't even remember what it was called, but he looked up at the stranger and felt a very strong urge to beat the man over the head with it. Ignoring the completely random desire, he set the bulky instrument on the ground and leaned it up against his body.

"Diva's been looking for you; she misses you, you know."

He dragged the long bow he'd pulled from the case across the strings as the last words came from the strange man's mouth. The cello—he'd remembered finally—let out a low moan as it's strings vibrated through the small diner.

The blond man kept his mouth shut after that and listened to him play. The chords came naturally to Haji, though he couldn't remember ever playing in his life. Notes and rhythms bounced through the air as all the diners stopped talking and eating and listened to him play a song he'd never heard before. When the last note faded, the entire restaurant applauded him as he sank back into his seat, away from the attention.

"That was lovely," the man said, "but you really must learn a happier song. That one's so depressing. Nathan would have a fit if he heard you."

"Who are you?"

The man put a pained look on his face, "Haji, I'm hurt! How could you not remember me? I'm your best friend! It's me, Solomon."

"…I'm sorry?"

Solomon waved him off, "Oh, it's alright. All water under the bridge as far as I'm concerned. We were all so worried about you though! I can't believe that car actually hit you! I heard all about it from Amshel. He and Diva were so worried! You _must_ come back home and let everyone know you're alright."

"What about Saya?"

"What do you mean, 'what about Saya'? Forget about that monster! She's horrible! I can't believe she'd scare you like that! Come back home and we'll make it all better."

"…"

He ended up following this Solomon person back to a hotel in the uptown district. Apparently, he and all the people he wouldn't shut up about were staying there. They climbed into the elevator and rode it up to the twenty-ninth floor.

"You ready?" Solomon asked.

"…I guess so…"

He opened the door to an opulent room with a huge view on the opposite wall. There were various people scattered throughout the room looking bored, but the one that stood out the most was the one that looked like Saya. Haji felt a cold chill run down his spine as she stood to greet him. The other men seemed to huddle around her without actually physically doing so.

"Haji! How wonderful! There you are; we were so worried, weren't we, Amshel?"

A rather large man in a deep purple suit just grunted in acknowledgement from his place by the window.

She whisked Haji up into a hug, staring down at him with icy blue eyes. "Haji, darling, we've missed you so much…" She placed a chilling kiss on his cheek, but abruptly pulled away when a man in a dark blue audai suit wailed his misery.

"Oh, Diva, why must you love him so? I shall be here for you always, yet you shall never see it, my love! I must go kill that Saya girl before she blinds you from my love forever!"

Haji, rather confused, watched the man run to the bathroom and proceed to jump out the window. "Shouldn't you do something about him?"

"Not to worry, darling, Karl is merely expressing his undying love for me. That is all. He's completely harmless."

A blotchy skinned man in the corner scoffed at that.

"Why did you want me here?"

"Why Haji, darling, you must stay with me! You're my fiancée!"

Right on cue, a blonde man in spandex waltzed in with a white gown in hand. "Shoot, Haji, what are you doing here? You can't see the bride before the wedding! Out! Shoo!"

Haji was whisked into a side bedroom by the over exuberant man and left to sit and ponder his current situation. Which brought him back to annoyed and disturbed again. Very deeply disturbed, actually. And confused. Couldn't forget that one.

x-X-x

"Solomon, you did well today."

"Thank you, brother. I still don't see why you want Diva to marry Haji, though. Isn't it enough that she already has that boy's children. Her want of a family has diminished."

"And yet she still wants that chevalier. So what better a time than now when we can bring him to her willingly."

"I don't think it's really willingly yet, Amshel."

"It will be soon enough. Where did you find that chiropteran to let loose on that school?"

"Van Argeno transformed it a while back and left it to rot in that despicable place he calls a lab."

"I see."

"I didn't see why we couldn't let it out to play before it died. I couldn't believe the humans asked you to oversee Saya in the hospital, though."

"Being a doctor has its perks."

"Like rowdy EMT's?" Solomon joked.

"Exactly like that…"

x-X-x

"Haji…" Diva called sweetly.

"Yes, Diva?"

"Get me something to drink would you?"

"Of course," he answered as he bowed out of the room. He poured her a glass of her special chilled red wine and brought it to her.

"Ah, sangre…thank you, Haji, you may go."

The strange word sounded very familiar to Haji, but he couldn't quite place it as he left the room. He was still cringing from the night before.

"_Haji…"_

"_Yes, Diva?"_

"_Come here a moment, won't you?" Diva asked, sprawled out on the bed._

_He walked over to her. Her eyes seemed to glow an icy blue color in the dim lighting._

"_Sit, darling."_

_She rubbed her hand up and down his back, trying to get him to relax into her touch. Kisses fluttered over his skin as she leaned in toward him. "You're my fiancée, Haji, enjoy yourself. I'm right here waiting."_

He shuttered out of that little flashback and looked into the current chaos in the suite.

The blotchy man—James, he'd learned—was looking rather peeved as Nathan tried fitting the dress onto him.

"You're the one closest to Diva's size! Hold still!"

"I cannot believe this! Let me down this instant!"

Haji shook his head and headed out, back into the city. He wandered around for a while until he wound his way back to the Science Compound. He stood outside the doors, across the street while several people went in and out all day. No matter how he tried, he couldn't bring himself to go back and face that girl. The blue-eyed one gave him chill every time she moved, but at least she didn't go around killing strange creatures in front of him. He sighed and moved on around dusk and eventually found himself sitting in front of a museum, playing the only song he knew on his cello, getting money from strangers.

_Was my life really always like this…?_

x-X-x

Saya woke up in the morning feeling like she'd been run over by a semi. Between her injuries from the chiropteran and all the blood she'd ingested yesterday, that felt about right. Her eyes were puffy from crying and she'd only slept for about two fitful hours last night.

Crawling out of bed, she looked at her roommate, snoring loudly in her dreamtime bliss. Saya scowled at her and made her way out of the room. Riku was looking a little better, sitting in the kitchen watching Kai eat cheerios, so she went and joined them.

"Hey, guys, sleep good?"

Riku ignored the question, as per usual now and Kai just grunted.

"Great, I'm glad…"

Riku smiled up at her, a little ball of energy even this early in the morning, "How about you, Saya? Do you feel better?"

"Not really, I'm just waiting to wake up…"

They looked at her like she'd lost her mind, but then again, she probably had. She kissed her brothers and went outside to wander around the city.

After about an hour, she found herself in a little diner on the street where Haji'd been hit. She took a side booth and ordered a cup of coffee so she could people watch in peace. She let out a sigh and looked around at everyone there. Things hadn't really changed that much in a hundred odd years, she decided. Everyone still came together to talk about nothing and gossip about the girls who didn't follow society's rules, women were still worried about their appearance and if they'd find the right man to marry, men still acted like they were God's gift to women, and she was still alone.

Life really sucked sometimes.

She finished her coffee quickly, burning her tongue in the process and headed for the park. It just seemed like a park-walking day, she didn't really go for any particular reason. She ran around the park twice before she found what she didn't know she was looking for.

"Saya! There you are! We've missed you so much, haven't we, Haji?"

**Chapter Six: End**


	8. Memories: Part One

**Memories**

**Chapter Seven: Memories Part One**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Blood+, if I did I'm pretty sure that all my attained wealth would've attracted me a _decent_ boyfriend by now…~sigh~ It's hard being single u_u

**A/N: ** Oh, and this little chappy is dedicated to my new buddy Namida-sama!

2/24/12: Revised and edited; hope you all enjoy the new and improved version.

x-X-x

"Saya! There you are! We've missed you so much, haven't we, Haji?"

Saya stared down at her sister, stunned into silence. Diva was sitting on a picnic blanket with her long, cotton blue dress spread out delicately in front of her. She was holding a wine goblet, swirling the blood inside it, and smiling lightly at Saya. Saya's eyes danced across her sister on the blanket, taking in every detail, especially one; on her right ring finger, she was wearing a thin gold band which delicately held a diamond. Her eyes drifted over to the man on Diva's right, farthest from where she was standing. Haji looked up at her with wide eyes. Her eyes roved his body, looking for signs of harm or—God forbid—bite marks. Instead, she found another matching gold ring resting finely on his right hand.

"Haji, dear, won't you hand me that bread over there?" Diva asked sweetly.

Saya nearly choked when Diva brushed her hand up Haji's thigh. Who did she think she was, touching her Haji so intimately like that? "Diva…!" she growled.

Her sister's eyes lazily made their way back to her. Saya clenched her jaw shut as the blood red lips parted, revealing dazzling white teeth, "Yes, sister?"

Saya's fists balled at the hem of her shirt. Too bad she didn't have her sword; it was back at the Compound, propped up in the corner by the closet in her and Mao's room. _Guess I'll have to do this civilly…damn._ "What are you doing here with Haji?" she asked, grinding her teeth.

Haji nodded his head as a seated-bow as Diva turned to receive the bread she'd asked for, "What do you mean, Sister? There's no longer a law that states that I cannot be alone with my betrothed."

Saya nearly did a double take, "Your betrothed?" she repeated.

"Oh, Sister, didn't you hear the news? My dear Haji and I are getting married! Of course I'd invite you, but I'm afraid Amshel said that there wasn't enough room for any more guests. I'm so sorry."

"Haji," Saya ordered, finally addressing him for the first time, "stand up."

He stood before the words had even finished coming from her mouth.

"No, Haji dear, sit, please," Diva smiled.

Haji was confused. The moment Saya had arrived, the queasy feeling he'd been having for the past day and a half disappeared. The woman at his feet was supposedly his fiancée, but he felt compelled to be at Saya's side. In fact, he felt slightly sick at being so close to Diva. Not to mention that he immediately stood when Saya had bade him, and felt absolutely no desire to sit at Diva's command. Yes, he was confused. He was smart enough though, to realize that one of the sisters was lying to him; he just didn't know which one.

Saya turned and stalked away; she couldn't risk a fight with Diva unarmed, "Come, Haji."

He immediately fled Diva's side, a wave of calmness settling over him. As he and Saya were exiting the picnic area via the runners' track, his hand slid into his sleeve, producing a blue diamond encrusted dagger. His arm threw the knife into the tree line on his left before his mind could even comprehend the action. Ceasing his steps, he turned his head to the direction the knife had flown. His eyes narrowed as the splotchy chevalier—James—walked out of the cover of the trees that surrounded the entire area, playing with the dagger, maneuvering and twirling it effortlessly through his fingers.

"You know, Haji, Diva wants to marry you. Diva will always get what she wants," he said, flicking his wrist and returning the little projectile back to its owner.

Haji's stance stiffened subconsciously as he shifted his weight closer to Saya. Saya's head turned as she addressed her sister directly, "Haji will never marry you. No one will ever marry you. I will make sure of that right now."

And just like that, Haji knew that he would never marry Diva. Saya had given him an order. It wasn't his place to disobey. He was her chevalier; he remembered that now, with stunning clarity.

"_No, Haji, not that one. I want the one on the other side!"_

_Haji extended his arm even farther, trying to grasp the flower she'd sent him over the cliff after. It was Joel's birthday; of course she would want to get him a present. Haji sighed as he grabbed the flower, 'If only she would get me a present for my birthday.' Then, almost as an afterthought, he added, 'If she even knows when my birthday is…'_

_His reverie was cut short as the handhold on the cliff face he was grasping gave way, letting him tumble the seventy feet to roughly meet the ground. He looked up after he had landed. Saya was leaning over the edge of the cliff. She looked sad. She was crying. He wished he knew what was making her so sad; he'd personally see to it that who or whatever caused her to look so sad would sorely regret the day they were born. He wished he could at least raise his head to make an attempt at such a venture._

_Dampness seeped into his hair as his vision began to blur. His right hand twitched, tried to reach out to Saya, to reassure her that there was no reason to be sad. He would protect her. He watched as her eyes so filled with tears spilled over and she retreated from the cliff side._

_That was good, he told himself. If she was away from the cliff, then she couldn't fall, too. If that was true, if all he wanted was her happiness and safety, then why did his heart ache as he watched her leave? As soon as her lacy pink dress was safely out of sight, he let his twitching arm fall back to his side and he slowly closed his eyes._

_The wet feeling covered his body. It was almost like he was swimming in the darkness around him. His eyelids became too heavy to lift. As he lay there, thinking of her, she found a safe way down the cliff and to his side. He heard her delicate little voice crying out to him; he really wished he had enough energy to respond. She laid her little body on top of his, covering him, crying. His hand twitched again to try to console her, to make her smile again, but no luck; he didn't have any energy left at all. The darkness swam closer to his mind, carrying him away._

_Distantly, he felt a light touch brush the inside of his jacket. Then there was softness, and an inexplicable warmth seeping through his entire body, relaxing and soothing him. He felt warm liquid trace its way down the back of his throat before he felt the tingling._

_The sensation kept getting stronger and stronger. It started as a light tingling feeling but steadily kept increasing until it was an intense burning in the pit of his stomach. The pain was ethereal. It shot up and down his spine, through his limbs and up into his mind, wiping all thoughts from his consciousness. Stronger and stronger, he fought the sensations and feelings that raged through his body, feeling himself begin to tremble. He prayed for the painless and calm darkness to return and wash away the white hot screaming pain._

_His eyes shot open as his body spasmed uncontrollably, though still unable to see. His limbs twitched and thrashed about wildly; his head slammed hard onto the ground repeatedly, and his torso lurched and retched as the blood raced through his system, overpowering his heart. The lungs ceased functioning before the heart did, though, making Haji gasp and reel for each ragged breath. His vision turned from the unbearable blinding white to an unforgivable blackness as the pain peaked and his body gave one last back-breaking arch and collapsed._

_His body, limp again, was lifted into a pleasant softness as his head rolled limply onto a pillow. His eyes drifted open, seeing in amazing clarity the fibers of a pink cotton gown. He shifted his gaze up and saw the familiar pair of chocolate brown eyes, concerned, looking back down at him._

"_Haji!" Saya squealed, happy again._

"…_Sa-Saya…" He rasped._

"_I'm so sorry," she begged, clutching him to her chest._

"_N-no...don't...don't be…"_

"_But Haji, I—"_

"_It is alright…Saya…"_

_Energy and adrenaline quickly returned to him as his newly sensitive nose picked up the smell of burning lumber. His head rolled to the side in her arms, looking over to the mansion. Black clouds of smoke could be seen from the gorge where they were sitting; the smell of blood was thick in the air._

_Saya could smell it too, "Haji?"_

"_I will always protect you, Saya," he said strongly, his voice unwavering._

Saya glared at James, but ran towards Diva, unarmed. Her sister smiled as James ran to her defense, blocking Saya from her by several meters. "You'll never win, silly sister."

"You will never have Haji!" Picking up a knife off of the picnic blanket Haji and Diva had been sharing, she lunged for James, lodging it firmly into his shoulder. His eyes narrowed as he glared at her and moved to punch her jaw. Saya ducked and raked her nails across his stomach, only succeeding in tearing some of his military decorations from his suit. Diva squealed from her place on the blanket, clearly enjoying the show. The two broke away abruptly as James pushed her back to rush to Diva's side; Haji had come out of his stupor and attacked Diva.

"Haji! What are you doing? This is no way to treat your bride!" Diva chided, still sitting, though looking slightly shaken.

"You are not my bride."

"Aww! That's soo mean, Haji-honey!" she moped.

"Haji-_honey_? What the fuck is that about?" Saya yelled, trying, without much luck, to get around James and to her demented little sister to bash her twisted little head in.

Haji twisted his body around and covered Saya as she went in low to get around James' guard. He was too busy blocking Haji's strong blows to be able to stop Saya. She ran under his arm as he blocked one of Haji's head shots and ran for Diva. She was finally standing up, on the blanket, with an empty goblet in her hand. Her eyes were glowing bright blue as she smiled at her attacking sister. "Stupid, big sister, you just don't know when to give up, do you?" Her hand closed around the goblet, shattering it in her hand. She clutched at the glass, ripping her skin open, letting the blood flow freely down her fingertips and onto the shards. She lifted her arm, pointing the biggest piece of glass at Saya, "I don't even need a sword; I'll kill you here and now."

"You can't kill me, Diva! You're forgetting something, aren't you?" Saya yelled back, feeling the blood rush to her head, the adrenaline starting its racing path through her veins, her vision become fringed with red…

Diva tilted her head to the side like a child, "And what am I forgetting, dear big sister?" she asked, confused.

Saya's heart tightened almost unbearably as she recalled the memory, but she pressed on, "You've already mated Riku. You've had his children. Your blood is nothing now."

Diva thought about this, absently wiping a stray drop of blood from the corner of her mouth. After a long pause, she twitched her mouth upward in a possessed looking smile, "Well, maybe, Sister, but I don't need my blood to kill you; I'll use my own two hands!"

Gripping the shard tighter, she screamed and charged Saya, lunging for her chest. Saya deflected the blow easily and countered with one of her own. She grabbed Diva's wrist and pulled it back and up, halting her in an instant. She pinned the wrist between her shoulder blades and grabbed for Diva's other arm, attempting to wrestle her to the ground. Diva used their close proximity to jab the bloodied glass into Saya's side. Much like James had done moments ago, Saya released her hold on Diva and let out a loud yelp. She backed away from Diva, already breathing heavily.

Haji was fairing much better, though. He was much, much older than James and had the experience to prove it. His moves were quick and concise, never wasting any movement. Although James came from quite a prestigious military background and was skilled in close hand-to-hand combat as well, he had died fairly young. Diva had bitten him only sixty three years ago, in 1945. Because of that, his moves, while powerful, were horribly sloppy. He hadn't had the privilege of actually _fighting_ in the war to hone his skills, and unfortunately for him, Diva didn't allow much fighting. Haji flicked his wrist towards James' back; he flew forward and broke the tree he landed against. Haji followed him, blinding the chevalier with a barrage of punches, nearly all of them landing. With one more swift kick to the stomach, the man landed on a picnic table, smashing it under his weight; he didn't get up.

Haji walked over to where he was laying. Bending over, he checked for a pulse. It was weak, but it was there. He was unconscious; he looked like he'd be that way for a while, too. Haji shifted his gaze over to Saya. She had just landed a fierce blow to the back of Diva's leg, knocking her off balance. She finished her combo attack with a knee to the jaw. Blood spurted out of Diva's nose as she fell forward.

"Haji…?"

"Saya," he answered.

"Do you…?" she wheezed.

"Of course I remember." He offered her a slight smile, before he saw James shift on the ground. "I don't think this fight is finished, Saya."

She smirked as her eyes took on a crimson hue. Haji felt a small shiver go down his spine. It wasn't fear this time, though. It was excitement. Anticipation. He couldn't wait to fight alongside Saya again. "I don't think it is either. I think it's far from finished."

The two slid closer towards each other in the grassy clearing. It had looked peaceful enough before she got here, but now…there was broken glass, smashed trees, destroyed tables, blood smearing the grass…it was a mess. She felt bad for whatever low-ranking Red Shield member had to clean up after them. She almost laughed out loud at that thought; what a strange thing to think of in the middle of a fight. Her eyes followed the length of James' body as he groggily sat up. '_Damn the rules of war! I should just attack him while he's still down, but _noo_ I have to be_honorable_! Honestly, who thought up this crap? Dammit, I'd attack him right now if I didn't have so much friggin' pride!'_ He got to his feet and took an offensive position; a gutsy move for a man with a concussion, watching as Haji edged his way closer to Saya, moving to stand protectively in front of her.

Haji pulled out yet another dagger from his sleeve and tossed it to Saya. The depression down the middle of the blade allowed her to cut her hand and let the blood run into the rivet. James watched her prepare the blade and mentally cursed; what was only a moment ago, just an annoying thorn in his side had become a weapon of the deadliest kind. If he got hit with that, there wouldn't even be a body to bury.

Haji distracted him sufficiently enough though (which took care of Saya's little problem); he ran forward and struck James hard on the side, nicking is head. Dazed, James allowed himself the recuperation time of flying through the air, only to flip and catch himself a moment before he met the ground. Saya was there waiting. She aimed the knife straight for his arm, only grazing it. He quickly dodged the deadliest majority of the attack though by jumping to the side and using the momentum to carry himself up a nearby tree. The desired effect occurred though, just not as well as she would've liked. The hit area crystallized quite nicely, immobilizing his entire left arm. James let out a low gasp as he realized the damage he'd taken.

"Saya!" Haji called, trying to get her attention. He'd followed James as he jumped from tree to tree, trying to run. He looked back and saw her watching him. "Diva!" he shouted to her. She had become fairly desensitized over the course of her stay in Okinawa; he hoped she could still hear him.

Apparently the message arrived loud and clear. Saya whipped her head around, looking at an estranged Diva. Her dark hair was mussed and ratty, her dress torn, and now her mouth wasn't the only think that had blood flowing from it. Her face was smeared and stained with her blood from the broken nose Saya had given her. Her right hand looked mangled from the shards of glass that were embedded in it from the stemware. Her bright blue eyes shined harshly against the red that was in her gown and splattered across her skin. Her breathing was coming in heavy puffs. It seemed James wasn't the only one that was unaccustomed to fighting. Saya supposed it should've been expected from Diva though, seeing as she's had eight chevaliers over the course of her lifetime. She's always had someone with her to fight instead of her. Now that Saya was thinking of it, she realized that in the course of 150+ years, they had only rarely fought each other. She was always stuck fighting one of Diva's chevaliers or chiropterans.

Diva attacked, breaking Saya's chain of thoughts. With her bloody hand, she grabbed a fistful of Saya's hair and pulled. Saya yelped and fell to her knees. Diva dragged Saya around by the hair, whipping her head around, all the while laughing about how much fun she was having playing with her big sister. "I just can't wait to kill you! Then I'll have Haji-honey all to myself! Yay!"

"Like hell you will!" Saya yelled from her place at Diva's feet. She used the dagger to slash at the heavy layers of cotton dress Diva had chosen to wear that day. It was almost the same as the Victorian-style dresses she was forced to wear as a child. Diva screamed, alarmed by the close proximity of Saya's blood to her flesh. There was no way she would allow herself to end up as helpless as James. She quickly backed away from Saya, glaring. Saya rose to her feet, glaring straight back at her. Clutching the dagger more like a kunai than a sword or dagger that she was more accustomed to, she made a b-line for her sister. The bodice of her gown was slashed open as she ducked away to avoid a direct hit to the chest, revealing the white chemise underneath. Saya cursed aloud and swung again, ripping the sleeve of the dress, exposing a thin bicep. Over and over she swung, shredding more and more of Diva's dress, making her looks more and more unladylike, which she absolutely hated. She let out another loud scream of frustration before trying to flee after James.

Saya followed her into the tree line. The not-so-quaint-anymore clearing where they had been fighting had been on the edge of the park, separate and enclosed, bordering the nearby woods. Not many people ventured to the very back of the park anymore, preferring the playgrounds and baseball diamonds closer to the front, which explained what Saya had been wondering about; about how no one heard all the fighting and screaming. It was a large park, she reasoned, chasing after her sister. The running was the closest thing she could get to rest; it allowed her breathing to slow and her heart time to catch up to its beats.

Haji easily cut through the bone that connected the crystallized arm to the rest of his body. James' cry pierced through the trees, frightening off any remaining creatures that may have been huddled down in some hole, waiting for the noisy human-esque creatures to shut up or leave. His pace slowed to a brisk walk as he tried fruitlessly to flee Haji. A dagger flew by his head, nicking and crystallizing his right ear; he turned around and stared first into a pair of angry blue eyes, then into a pair of angry red ones. He glared at Saya and threw a heavy branch at her. She ducked as it flew past her towards Diva.

"Diva, move!" James yelled, running, trying to beat the branch to his dear mother.

Diva merely jumped out of the way, colliding with James mid-air.

"Damn you, move!" she shouted, pushing him to the ground.

Haji met Saya's eyes and nodded.

_Divide and conquer…_

James stood quickly as Haji ran towards him, dagger in hand. He threw the knife to Saya, who was running with him. She quickly drew blood from the wound on her hand and threw it back to Haji. He was faster; he wouldn't miss.

Diva laughed as she picked up her skirts and lunged for Saya. She deflected the attack and landed a hard blow to the back of Diva's head, her blood from her palm mixing darkly with her black hair. Diva stumbled, and then cursed. Turning to face her sister, she licked her lips. She had Saya just where she wanted her; between herself and James—with no Haji nearby to help. She should've killed him while she had the chance.

Haji's wrist flicked effortlessly outward, releasing the knife, sending it flying toward James. "You think that will hit me? Ha!" he shouted and dodged it easily by sliding to the right.

…leaving the intended path wide open…

…and the intended well distracted…

Saya heard the knife coming and called to Diva, "Just try me! I wanna see you try to kill me without any help, _little sister!_" Diva turned angrily and prepared herself to attack Saya again. Her eyes widened when she saw the projectile coming towards her. Saya mimicked Diva's expression as the blade imbedded itself into her forehead, making her whole body stiffen and freeze before her head fell back and her body followed.

Haji smirked. That was never a good sign. James whipped his body around just in time to see Diva's newly penetrated body sag to the ground. "No…" he whispered hoarsely, unbelieving. He disengaged Haji and returned to his mother's side. "Diva…!"

Blood clouded the corners of her eyes and trickled out of her mouth as the crystallization began to spread from her forehead. "Tell everyone to take care of my babies…"

James soothed Diva as she coughed; he patted her head, told her everything would be fine; tried his damnedest not to cry in front of her. He had to be strong for his mother.

"And James…?"

"What is it?"

Diva smiled up at him, "Make sure you take care of yourself, too…and…and…your brothers…"

Tears overflowed as he watched the rest of her face crystallize, cutting off her final words to him, "Of course, Mother, if that is your wish, then consider it done…"

Saya and Haji stood back a respectful distance as James finally lost all emotional restraint. He cried and yelled and cussed and prayed and begged, trying to bring her back, to come to terms with her death. "K-kill…"

Saya looked over at him, "James…?" she asked quietly.

He looked at her, then to Haji, "Kill…kill me…"

Haji placed his arm around Saya, "Are you sure?" he asked, earning him a hard, teary-eyed glare from Saya.

"I'll never…nev-never have wh…what you two have. Th-that's all…all I wanted…"

Saya nodded and walked up behind him, examining one of the deeper lacerations on the back of his neck, "You really want this? What about her last wish?"

"I…I can't do it. I can't live with…without her…I don't care about anyone else…just her," he said, turning to look at the fully crystallized image of Diva, her face frozen in an unreadable expression, "…Only you, Diva…"

With a heavy sigh, he leaned back onto Saya's hand, smearing her blood into the wound on his neck. His breath caught as the poisoned blood made its way through his system, hardening his organs and killing his flesh. Before the blood could completely spread, he molded his unharmed hand into Diva's. The crystallization occurred much faster for him than it had for Diva since he had already been struck by one of Saya's attacks and already had minute traced of her blood pumping through his body. He kissed the top of her head and smiled as the toxins froze his face in an expression of extreme sadness.

Saya's eyes closed as she mourned their losses. Hated or not, Diva—and by association, James—was family; it always hurt, no matter who it was that was lost. Haji placed his hands heavily upon her shoulders, pulling her body backwards into him. She turned and cried into his shoulder, more thankful than ever that he was alive and with her. "Are you alright, Haji?"

"Yes…"

She looked up at his face when he hesitated, "…but…?"

"May I ask for something, Saya…?"

She looked almost startled by his rare request…for a request… "Of course; what is it?"

"I wish we had a love like that…" he smiled.

**Chapter Seven: End**


	9. Memories: Part Two

**Memories**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Blood Plus. It's a nice dream though…

2/24/12: Revised and edited; hope you all enjoy the new and improved version.

x-X-x

"Are you alright, Haji?"

"Yes…"

She looked up at his face when he hesitated, "…but…?"

"May I ask for something, Saya…?"

She looked almost startled by his rare request…for a request… "Of course; what is it?"

"I wish we had a love like that…" he smiled.

Saya smiled back at him as she laced her fingers through his. "We could always try, you know. We've got all the time in the world."

"I look forward to it, Saya."

x-X-x

"So how are you doing, Saya?" Kai asked as he leaned over the back of the couch.

Saya had been laying there for the past day and a half mourning her sister. There was no funeral for the two since there wasn't a body to bury anymore. The land had become so unstable from the fighting that the trees had been uprooted. With the heavy storm that had followed when she and Haji had arrived back at the Compound, the trees had fallen and crushed the frigid bodies. All that were left were crimson and ashen crystals.

"As well as can be expected, I guess," she answered, her eyes looking dull.

"You've really got to cheer up. With Diva gone, you can live the life you want. It'll get better."

"You know, I don't think it will, Kai." Tears had started rolling down the sides of her face as she began speaking. "My sister's dead, along with James, and Amshel's taken everyone else and hidden themselves away in only God-knows-where along with Riku's daughters. You're seriously delusional if you think that it'll all get better just like that!"

"Saya…"

She leaned her head to look up at the voice coming from the doorway. Her hysterics calmed somewhat as the man came and sat down by her head, running a hand through her hair. "Haji…" she cooed, closing her eyes and relaxing into his touch.

"Things _will_ get better, Saya. It will take time, though. We will find the others and end this stupid war. We will save Riku's daughters and kill Amshel. Then after years and years, the aching will lessen. I promise it will, even if it takes centuries. You will always have your memories to comfort you, and of course, I will always be by your side."

She smiled sadly as she listened to his words and sat up on the couch. "Thank you, Haji." She turned to look up at Kai still leaning on the back of the couch, "And thank you, Kai."

Over the course of the day and a half of moping, Saya had done some serious thinking. She thought about everything that had happened in her life up to that point two days ago. The fact that Haji had miraculously recovered his memory still stunned her, but she'd ask him about that later. What she was more concerned with was the fact that Diva had been under the impression that she would be the one to marry Haji. Saya wondered—a little maliciously—if Diva had been crazy before she died.

It was true though, Saya wasn't just sad over her losses. She was angry, too. She would be the one to marry Haji. He was _her_ chevalier! She could do with him as she pleased. He had already told her that he loved her. And he knew that she loved him back. Didn't he? Or was the reason he went to Diva because he thought he wasn't loved? Did he fake his amnesia to have a reason to leave her?

No.

She wouldn't doubt Haji. Not now. She had never done so before, and she wasn't about to start. Besides, whenever she asked him about it, he always said that he was grateful to her for being her chevalier because it meant that he could stay with her. She had made up her mind. The next time she was alone with Haji, she would tell him she loved him back.

Of course, there was the little thing about Diva's other chevaliers, but he'd pretty much allayed her worries about that. But, Riku…

"How is Riku doing?" she asked, voicing her concerns.

Kai answered, "He's doing pretty well. Though he wishes he could have the girls with him…"

"I figured as much."

"He wants to talk to you, though. He's waiting back in our room."

She seemed kind of surprised, "Oh," she breathed, "okay."

Saya untangled herself from Haji's fingers and wound her way out of the living room and down the hallway. She stopped in front of the door to Kai and Riku's room, which was graced with Riku's hand-made sign saying, 'Knock please'. It was a nice sign; too bad Kai had gone up behind him and written 'or else' in red marker underneath it…

She let out an amused sigh. Boys…

She knocked, "Riku? It's Saya. Can I come in?"

"Sure, come on in," called the voice behind the door.

Saya opened it and found Riku curled up in a ball in the middle of his bed. "Hey, what's wrong?"

He peeked an eye out from under the blankets to look at her. "Nothing's wrong," he mumbled.

She raised an eyebrow at him, "Oh? Then why the blankets?"

"You were doing it, too, you know."

"I know, but I'm up now. That was just because I needed time to think some things through."

Riku sat up, knocking the blankets off of him and exposing his ruffled and slept-in hair, "I know! Me, too. That's why I'm in bed too."

"What were you thinking about?"

He immediately pulled the blankets back up his body and laid back down in bed, "That's the hard part, you see…"

"What?"

"Well, you know when you and Haji talk about leaving here…?"

"Yeah? Riku, what's this about exactly?" Saya asked, a bit more stern than she'd intended.

"…"

"Riku…"

"I don't want to leave! There, I said it!" he shouted from under the blanket.

"What?"

"I…" he muttered, "…I don't want to go with you and Haji when you leave. I'm happy here."

Saya sat up in the bed and mulled this over for a moment. "You want to stay here…" She looked over to see the blanket moving around as Riku nodded under it. "Then what's the problem? If you want to stay here, of course you can."

"Really?" he asked, peeking out from under the covers again. "But…I'm a chevalier, right? Doesn't that mean I have to go with you?"

Saya laughed under her breath as she patted his shoulder, "Not necessarily. I'm not going to force you to do anything you don't want to, Riku. If you want to stay here with Mao and Kai and everyone, then I'm not going to stop you."

"Really…?" he repeated, finally emerging from the blanket-haven fully.

She laughed out loud, "Really. And you're welcome to join us whenever you wish, you know."

"Thanks, Saya."

"Yup."

"So you guys get everything worked out alright?" asked Kai from his place in the doorway.

"Yup," Saya repeated.

"Great. Then Riku, wanna play some videogames with me?"

"Sure, you're on!" Riku shouted, diving for the controllers.

Kai put in some racing game that started pretty quickly, so Saya amused herself for a few moments watching them. As soon as they started shouting at each other and leaning into the turns, she quietly made her escape—no sense in being caught up in some feud about who cheated who at the end of the race—and went off to find Haji.

"So…" she so eloquently said when she found him.

"…"

Haji was sitting on the roof of the Compound looking at the traffic some three stories below them. He looked over at her when she came through the doorway to the roof and gave her a sad look. He'd already cheered her up as much as he could, so he'd assumed that she'd have her 'brothers' pick up the pieces that he wasn't able to. Just thinking that made him turn away from her with disgust; sometimes he really wished he had enough guts to just jump. Not like it'd actually kill him, though. Just look at what the car incident had done. In fact, if he took enough time to really think about it, all of the recent events were due to the fact that he'd been hit by that damned car. If he'd been stronger then he could've save both her and himself and he never would've gone to Diva or believed that Solomon was his best friend.

"Will you play a song for me?"

"…?" He cast her a questioning look. He'd heard her alright, but he couldn't believe she'd still want to talk to him after the shock had worn off. Grudgingly, he picked up the cello by his side and propped it up in his lap. Drawing the bow across the neck to make the first low note, he watched as Saya closed her eyes to listen to his music. She was so pretty when she did that. It was so unlike when she was teaching him to play; she never scolded him anymore. He could just play, and she would sit silently and listen.

"Someday I'll teach you the rest of that suite…" she said when he'd finished. "I think I may be a slightly better teacher now than I used to be," she joked.

"You were a wonderful teacher, Saya," he admonished, placing the instrument back by his side.

She snorted, "No, I think you've just got talent for playing. You're much better than me at it. Well, the cello anyway. I bet I could still beat you at piano."

"I don't know how to play piano."

She looked over at him and grinned evilly, "Exactly."

They sat there quietly for a few moments, listening to the traffic and people below them. Haji stared out at the buildings, trying hard to ignore the fact that Saya was staring at him. She was concentrating on all the little lines on his face, on the cool blue-gray of his eyes, and the firm set of his mouth. Gathering her courage, she reached over and took his hand into hers. She examined how big his hand was in comparison. All the little pale hairs on the back of his hand blended with the ivory of his skin nicely. There was dirt under his nails, she was surprised to find. Somehow, she had built him up to some clean Godly-figure in her mind over the years. To see him sitting beside her, looking human—well, as human as a chevalier could look—she plucked up her courage to ask him about the memory thing.

"It was when you told me to stand up," he answered, without looking over at her. "I couldn't—didn't want—to disobey you. I want to make you happy, Saya. There wasn't even a ghost of a chance Diva could've stopped me from going to you."

"…but you two were engaged?"

"No," he replied immediately. "We were never engaged. That was something she and Amshel had come up with to separate us while I couldn't remember anything."

"Oh…"

"I was happy, you know," he continued, "when you told me to come stand by your side. I knew then that I never wanted to be away from you. Well, rediscovered that, anyway."

Saya continued to stare at the back of his hand as she listened to everything that he said. "I'm glad."

"…?" he looked over at her as she turned his hand over to examine his palm.

"I'm glad that you don't want to leave me anymore. I don't want to ever be away from you either," she admitted, looking up into his eyes.

"Saya…" he breathed, astounded at her easy admission. He watched as she pulled his hand into her chest, clutching it, and looking up at him like she did when they were children.

She seemed to think heavily on something as she whispered, "Haji…" and continued to draw his whole body toward herself, all the while staring up at him. "Haji, I—"

He held his gaze steady as he lowered his head to be even with hers, making their foreheads touch. His eyes widened as Saya moved her face up even closer, to where they were almost touching. He could feel her breathing become unsteady as a result of their closeness. Nearly overwhelmed, he removed his arm from its resting place against her chest and wrapped both of them around her slim little body, pulling her into his embrace. "Saya, I'm sorry. I swear I'll never leave you again. I want to be with you always," he whispered into her ear.

Listening, she buried her blushing face deep into his chest. Her arms snaked their way around his body, trying to pull him even closer, "That makes me so happy, Haji. I love you so much…" she muttered into his chest.

Haji stiffened in her embrace and immediately an arm's distance between them. "Saya…? Do you really mean that?"

Looking up at him again, she realized that she had just inadvertently confessed before she could stop herself. Blushing, she looked down at the rooftop and nodded. He grabbed her chin lightly between his thumb and forefinger and forced her to look at him. A feeling of intense pleasure washed over her body as all the apathy washed away from his face, replaced by a small, gentle smile. "I love you, Saya," he said, looking directly into her eyes. "I love you more than words could ever say…" He tilted her head a hair farther upward and placed his lips lightly on hers.

Sweetness racked through her body as she returned the kiss. She pulled him closer, so she was cradled in his arms again, and wrapped her arms around his neck, her eyes sliding shut. She poured all of her passion into that kiss; over one hundred years worth of affection flowing freely between the two as her lips molded themselves to his. She grinned into it as she felt his arms slowly lace their way around her waist, holding her securely against him.

"Oh," said a voice from behind the two. "I'm sorry, I'll come back later."

Both Saya and Haji immediately separated. Neither one had heard the roof-door open and was surprised to see Julia standing halfway on the roof and halfway in the stairway, looking like she really wanted to run.

"Um, no. It's alright, Julia," Saya said, stuttering slightly. Haji, of course, looked just as impassive as ever. A defense mechanism. She really wished she had one. "What do you need?" she asked.

"It's not important. I'll just go…"

"Really, what is it?"

"Well, I heard Riku telling Kai that you'd given him permission to stay in Okinawa when you and Haji leave."

"What about it?"

"I don't think anyone else has been told you were leaving. We were all just curious, that's all…"

"Oh, well, actually it was a spur-of-the-moment thing. I haven't told Haji of it yet either. I just decided while I was being a vegetable on the couch last night."

"Oh, well then let's go downstairs and you can explain this to all of us at once instead of having to repeat yourself six times."

"That's actually a pretty good idea."

Julia grinned, "Does that mean that my other ideas aren't good?" she joked.

"Yup, that's exactly what it means," Saya said, grateful for the humor, and walking quickly to the stairs with Haji trailing close behind her.

Julia led them down the stairs and to the elevator. They took it to the first floor, where everyone was. No one besides Julia and Louis were allowed on the other four floors considering that it is where all the scientific research went on. The first floor was for actual people to inhabit.

When they had arrived back at the main room, Kai had taken over the couch he was standing watch over previously. Joel had even joined them, taking a place beside the door. Louis and David were engaged in a friendly game of foosball, while Riku was cheering the two on.

"So we hear from Riku," Joel spoke, "that you're thinking of leaving us, Saya?" He had developed a cough over the last few days that had steadily gotten worse, what with all the stress she had put on him fighting Diva.

Haji listened closely, too. It was the first that he had heard of this as well. Though he could predict that they would've been leaving soon; they had been in Japan for far too long, plus Diva was gone now so they had plenty to do.

"Yes, we've never stayed in one place for so long. Plus, with high school graduation coming up, the students will notice that I haven't changed like they have in the three years I've been with them when they pull out the yearbooks. It's just safer for everyone this way."

"While I won't contest that," Joel began, "don't you think it'd be troublesome to leave here while you're so close to your time of sleep?"

She shrugged noncommittally, "Eh, we've been doing it like this for years. Sure the technology is nice, but really, I'll just be taking up space here for the next thirty years. Don't you think it'd be a bit hard to explain when people come over and see a giant cocoon sitting in the corner?"

"We would find a way…"

"Like I said, I'm sure you would, but this really is easier. Far be it for me to stop Haji if he'd like to stay here while I'm out, but I probably won't be."

"And where exactly does Riku come in here?" Julia asked.

"He wants to stay with Kai and you-all. I told him he could do what he wants; unless, of course, you don't want him to stay?"

"You know that's not true, Saya!" Kai said, paying attention for the first time. "He's welcome here just as much as you and Haji are!"

"I know. That's why I allowed it without consulting anyone. Plus, you-all seem to be under the impression that I cannot take care of myself and that Riku and Haji are my slaves."

"Not slaves, Saya," David interrupted, "we just assumed that as chevaliers they would have to stay beside their Queen."

Saya nodded as he said this, "Yup, and that's what's wrong. Neither one _have_ to stay with me. They're just as free to do as they please as you are. I'm not as all-powerful as you seem to think, David."

He shut-up after that.

"Plus, if you think about it," she continued, "Diva…" she choked on the name, "Diva had sent her chevaliers all around the world to do as she asked and as they pleased. Lord knows Amshel only rarely does what she tells him."

"Yeah, but Haji's always with you, so we just assumed…" Kai drawled.

"That's because I like Haji," Saya answered calmly. "And you know what they say when you assume something, Kai…"

Kai 'humphed' and turned away, taking Louis' spot at the foosball table.

"So when will you be leaving, Saya?" Louis asked, heading toward the kitchen for a sandwich.

"Soon, most likely; within the next few days," she called through the doorway to the kitchen.

"I see," Julia mused as she followed the two, "then I'll get some blood ready, I suppose."

"Thanks. There's really not much keeping us here, but I want to wait until I'm sure Riku won't have a nervous breakdown or something."

"Speaking of which, Saya," Julia said, "I'm surprised you're not having a nervous breakdown yet."

"Hmm? Why is that?"

"Just a reminder but: your sister is dead. That usually has some sort of impact on people. Especially if they're the ones who killed them. And the love of your life just confessed to you," she winked.

"I guess I'm just in shock still…It'll hit me hard in a decade or so; give it time to sink in."

"I see…" she said, chewing on a cold-turkey sandwich. "That's not exactly healthy, you know."

"It's worked alright so far. I'd leave tonight if I was positive about Riku."

"By the way," Joel coughed, wheeling himself into the small room with the other three, "just what do you plan on doing when you leave?"

"I still have to find Nathan, Amshel, Karl, Solomon…especially Solomon; I can't believe him. How could he just pretend to be Haji's best friend? 'Oh yeah, we're best buds; just let me kill you first!' That's rich!"

Joel nodded nervously. Saya was pretty scary when she got herself worked up like that. He decided it was best to change the subject. "So, will you go back home?"

By 'home', of course he meant the Zoo. That was home for him, too, after all. It had undergone some renovations since the Red Shield had been in the area a few years ago. They rebuilt it so it could be used as a base of operations if need be. Luckily, it didn't, but it did provide Joel with a valuable look into his ancestry. Apparently, thanks to Haji, the mansion was exactly how it was when they had lived there in the 1800's. Who knows when Haji had time to do interior decorating, though. Maybe it was a secret passion, or something that he indulged at night while everyone was asleep. Saya giggled as she imagined Haji wandering around the city at night comparing materials and fabrics and planning bedroom groups.

"I don't know. Maybe, maybe not. It depends, I guess."

"Very direct answer, Saya," Louis said sarcastically.

"I try," she smirked.

"I guess I'll go box up my things so you all can give them away or something," she said, clasping her hands behind her head in a distinctly carefree way and heading out the doorway and toward her and Mao's room.

"Why are you getting rid of it?" Riku asked as Saya passed through the main room.

"I don't need it. I never really bring material stuff with me when I sleep. It's not like I need an I-Pod or even a bed to sleep in."

"I guess you've got a point there," he conceded.

"Yeah, little bro, she got you on that one," Kai threw in.

Saya smirked and continued her way to her room in the Compound. She opened the door and crossed the room to sit quietly on the bed for a moment before she actually began any work. Looking around the small room, she realized she didn't have much anyway. One box; maybe two. Tops. And that was it; the only proof of her life in Okinawa.

"So we're really leaving?" Haji asked from his place in the doorway.

"Yeah, tonight," Saya said, not looking up. He had a tendency to sneak around, so it didn't bother her much that he just popped up like a ninja.

"Why so soon?" he asked, knowing he'd finally get the truth out of her since they were alone.

"So Riku _doesn't _change his mind. He's still a child. He needs to be able to grow up with some semblance of a family, and Lord knows that I'm not exactly…oh, what's her name…Martha Stewart. With Kai and Mao and Julia and everyone else, he'll at least have a chance of a somewhat normal childhood. For a while anyway. Then, in a couple decades or so, when he gets bored, he can come back and be with us," she monologued as she stashed her clothes and photos in a box on top of her bed.

"And until then?"

She turned and smiled at him for a moment before resuming her packing, "You really have gotten more talkative lately. I guess I'll sleep soon, then wake up and track down the others and get Riku's girls back," she continued on, even though she'd already answered his question. It felt good to finally have a plan, "then he'll join us for a bit before he decides he wants to have an 'independent family' or something and take off for a few centuries, then we'll get a house in the middle of nowhere somewhere and live happily ever after for the rest of time."

"Well…I'm glad you have the rest of our lives planned out so beautifully."

"Yup, and I'll teach you the rest of that suite, too."

"As you wish, Saya."

She turned and looked up at him, "That's the first time I've heard you say that in a while. Is something wrong?"

"No, nothing. It just makes me happy to be able to talk to you like this again, is all. Are you sure you want to leave in the middle of the night, though, without saying 'goodbye' to anyone?"

"Yes. If we stay until morning, I'm sure someone will find a way to guilt me into staying until my sleep."

"Alright then, I'll make preparations," Haji announced and made his exit.

"Thanks," she answered, though no one was there anymore, but she knew he could still hear her. She did wonder for a moment, what preparations he had to make.

Finishing rather quickly, Saya decided to take a nap before her rendezvous tonight. No sense in getting caught because she was so tired as to trip over a chair or something. She slept for about four hours before Haji entered the room, careful not to wake her roommate, and asked if she was ready. Nodding, she quietly crawled out of bed, and silently said her goodbyes to Mao before quietly following Haji out of the room and shutting the door. The two visited each occupied room, whispering farewells to each of the residents, before making their way to the main room and scrawling a note on a spare sheet of paper:

_We've decided to go now. Neither of us much likes goodbyes._

—_Saya and Haji_

Saya stuck the note on the coffee maker where someone was sure to find it in the morning and made her way outside to where Haji was waiting.

"Ready?" she asked, smiling.

"Ready as I'll ever be."

**Chapter Eight: End**

**Memories: End**


	10. Epilogue

**Memories**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Blood Plus.

**A/N:** This takes place thirty-three years after the end of Chapter Eight.

2/24/12: Revised and edited; hope you all enjoy the new and improved version.

x-X-x

The sky was a bright, clear blue as Saya and Haji found themselves walking along the lanes of the cemetery in the Zoo. Trees lined the place and mourners were gathered around one of the plots of land off in the corner to pay their respects to the newly deceased man. As the two came upon the service, the words of the preacher reached Saya's ears,

"He was a man among men. You could count on him to always do the right thing. He would always be there if you needed him. It is hard to see a great man like him leave us, but as he does, we are comforted with the knowledge that he has ascended to a higher realm and is watching over us..."

"You really think he's watching us?" Saya asked, whispering to Haji over her shoulder.

"I'm sure of it, Saya."

The two stayed in the back of the procession and listened to the rest of the clergyman's speech and to the sobs that could be heard coming from friends family that had attended.

"How are you guys holding up?"

Saya turned toward the sound of the voice, "Huh? Oh, we're alright..."

Kai gave a sad smile to his sister as he stuffed his hands into the pockets of his black suit, "I'm really gonna miss him, you know. It's not like I knew him really well or anything, but he was always there. He was the rock that held us all together, er, the Red Shield, anyway."

"Yeah," Saya sighed. She could see how much the last couple of decades had aged him; he was about forty-nine, she guessed. Wrinkles formed around his mouth and eyes as he smiled and spoke to her. She wiped her eyes to relieve some of the weariness she was feeling, "but it'll be fine. We'll all be alright, and you'll forget what this was like soon enough, so don't worry about me too much, 'kay?"

Kai's brow furrowed as he listened to her words, "I won't forget, Saya. The feelings may fade over time, but I won't forget. Like I won't forget either one of you, either." He was perfectly aware of the fact that he was pushing fifty now and after another one of Saya's sleeps, he probably wouldn't see her again. She was already getting more and more drowsy as the days went on. It wouldn't be long until her final sleep.

In fact, one of the last discoveries the dead man made was the fact that Saya would have two more thirty year sleeps after she had killed Diva, then she and Haji would have a restless eternity stretching out before them—she had already undergone one, and when she awoke, she decided to stay with him for another three years. He really did miss the man's quiet demeanor and the way he commanded attention, even with his newly acquired disabilities.

Saya nodded her head as she looked over the congregation of people. She didn't mind that she'd outlive every single one of them; it'd make her sad for a moment, but then life would go on. It always did, even when she'd thought the world was ending. She didn't mind that no one here would remember her in ten or twenty years. It was better if they all forgot about her and moved on with their lives. She had become far too attached to the people of Okinawa over the last thirty three years. She smiled at the thought of everyone she had met and fought alongside, but that chapter of her life was over now. "Where's Riku? Why don't you go see how he's doing?"

Knowing a dismissal when he heard one, he inclined his head a bit and touched his first two fingers to his forehead in a mock salute, smiled one last time at his sister, and delved into the crowd to find him.

It was several hours later when the people finally dispersed, leaving the two alone with the preacher. Haji stood behind the two as they began to speak amongst themselves in soft voices.

"You know, he did this all for you," the preacher said knowingly.

"Yes. He was just that kind of man."

The preacher nodded and pulled a box with a note from his vest pocket. "Here, this is for you Ms Goldschmidt. Normally, I would leave this kind of thing to the lawyers, but I think we all know they don't quite have the emotional capacity for this sort of thing." He walked past Saya while he continued speaking to give an identical note and box to Haji.

"No one's called me 'Goldschmidt' in quite a while, sir. I go by Otonashi now," Saya gently corrected.

The man didn't pay her any mind as he continued, "This was his final request for me. He wanted you two to have whatever is in there rather badly, so I hope you enjoy his gifts."

Haji bowed solemnly as he took the parcel from him, "Thank you."

The preacher nodded in reply and rubbed his hands together quickly in response to a rather strong, cold wind that chose that moment to blow by. "Well, if that will be all, and neither of you need me, I suppose I'll be heading off now."

Saya shook his hand as she thanked him for all his help and watched him climb into his Buick and drive off.

Finally they were alone with the men who brought them together. Up and down the Zoo's cemetery, as far as the eye could see, were Goldschmidts. And lying in front of her, in all their glory, were the Joels who had raised her. Saya read what the tombstone in front of her said:

_Joel Nathanial Goldschmidt the Fifth  
Husband, Son, Friend  
1950—2038  
"To be 'Joel' is to keep the secret of the Queens."_

She blinked back tears as she looked at the gravestones in the four plots to the left of his. They all said the same thing, save for the dates of birth and death and the generation. But Joel V's didn't say one thing the others did: father. Without that title, there were no more Joel's. Her 'parents' had effectively been weeded out. She and Haji were on their own for the first time ever. They wouldn't have anyone to return to after this round of friends had grown old and passed on as well. The thought scared her immensely, but looking over at Haji, who was pressing a hand against the grave marker of the first Joel, comforted her to no end.

As long as she had Haji, she would never be alone. She walked the ten feet to where he was in seconds and stood beside him, watching his eyes flash across the page as he read the note Joel had left for him.

_Haji,_

_In the few short years I have grown to know you, you have become very dear to me. I want you to know that no matter how frayed our relationship may have become regarding Saya, know that I have always had her best wishes at heart, as I know you too have had. I bear you no ill will as I write this, knowing you will stay with Saya long after I have passed on. I consider you a close friend and wish to entrust you with something very precious to me. In the box, is a ring. A wedding ring. I am entrusting you with Saya and all her happiness. I want you to make her happy, Haji. If you will grant me one request, it would be to make her happier than any of us ever could have. I sincerely believe that you are the one to make her complete. Treat her as if she is the only woman in the world, and judge her not on her past._

_Make her happy, Haji._

_Sincerely,  
Joel Goldschmidt_

_1883_

Haji blinked as he finished reading the note and stared at the box in his hand for a long moment.

"Haji?" Saya asked.

He looked up at her. "...?"

"I think there's another page. That first one looks pretty old. I wonder how long ago he wrote that?"

"I don't know," he murmured as he shuffled the pages and saw the very short note on the second sheet:

_Dear Haji,_

_I agree with my great-great grandfather. Be happy together._

_With all the luck of the world,  
Joel Goldschmidt V_

_2038_

"What do they say?" Saya wondered out loud.

Haji rose to his feet rather stiffly and smiled down at Saya, "They say to be happy."

Without returning the look, she grinned at the gravestone. It sounded like something he would say. Heck, it sounded like something any of them would say. "I wonder what mine says?"

"Open it and find out."

She nodded and looked over the fresh envelope. But the same as with Haji's, when she opened it, it held a yellowed page and a fresh white sheet. She carefully removed it from the envelope and opened it:

_Little Saya,_

_You've grown into a fine woman over the last decades, Saya. I'm very proud of you. I'd like to ask you one thing, though; please take care of our home. And Haji, of course. In the box is a key to the mansion. I'd like you to take this place and keep it as your own. I hope it will bring you many fond memories, and supply you with enough room for all of your children. Be sure to do your best to make Haji happy too, dear. He tries so hard for you. I fear it may be love. Turn this old mansion into a home you can be proud of._

_Make each other happy, Saya._

_Sincerely,  
Joel_

_1883_

Saya felt tears well up in her eyes as her mind worked to reproduce the voice she hadn't heard since she was a child. She read the letter over and over before finally switching sheaves and reading the newer note.

_Dear Saya,_

_Your father is right. You and Haji are suited for one another. I hope your lives are blessed with many children._

_With all the luck of the world,  
Joel Goldschmidt V_

_2038_

Saya felt herself begin to tremble as her tears overflowed. Haji wrapped his arms around her body and held her against his chest, soothing her. He wiped her tears away and graced her with one of his rare full smiles. Looking up at him, she couldn't help but to be amazed by how handsome he was. And he was _hers. _She felt a shiver of delight shoot down her spine as she grinned.

_Mine._

_Forever._

Releasing herself from his embrace, she wiped the tears from her eyes and smiled back at Haji.

"You know what?"

He cocked an eyebrow, "What?"

"They told me to be happy too." Saya slid her hand into Haji's and reveled in the feeling of her fingers interlocking with his, "And they gave us a home to be happy in, forever."

An evil grin slowly overtook her smile as she lifted his hand to her mouth and kissed the back of his palm. Laughing, she quickly dropped his hand, lifted her dress off the ground, and ran back towards the fountain, away from the cemetery, with Haji laughing lightly right behind her.

_With all of the luck of the world, we shall be happy together._


End file.
